Abduction
by prettylilah
Summary: Goliath is supposed to meet Elisa at her place, but when she arrives, she finds an imposter waiting in the dark! Rated for future chapters, picks up after Hunter's Moon pt.3.
1. Visitor

Elisa walked briskly down the hall of her building toward her front door. She had to get inside. He was due in 15 minutes. She had done all she could to keep him from coming as soon as the sun had gone down.

Hefting the paper grocery bags a bit higher, she groped for her house keys with her two free fingers. She had really needed to go shopping, but the detective had to admit to herself that it had ultimately been an excuse. She was avoiding him, which was exactly what she didn't want to do, and exactly what she didn't want Goliath to think.

_Way to show your true colors, Maza,_ her inner dialog berated. She sighed mentally at that mean little voice. It was right.

After what happened on the castle tower last week, the irrepressible Detective Maza was an internal mess. She'd kissed him, for God's Sake! Was she crazy? What had possessed her to just lunge at a 300 lb. gargoyle like that? To make matters worse, she'd continued to act like an idiot ever since. She'd sighed like a thirteen-year-old girl at the love songs that played in the supermarket, and stared off into space while on patrol, running two red lights. There were mushy movies recording on her DVR, not to mention completely zoning out on a witness in Central Park yesterday because she was too busy watching a pair of swans. It was so frustrating to catch herself acting this way but she knew the cause, even if she couldn't say it.

_I'm in love with him._

She wanted to see Goliath more than anything; had wanted to go to him every night since they had shared their feelings that morning. Except that they hadn't shared anything. Not really. In reality, it had taken all that was left of her rapidly fading, adrenaline induced, nerve to say, "You know how I feel about you, right?" He had said "yes" before she had completely lost her mind and jumped at him, but what did he say yes to? She hadn't confessed anything of value. True, words could scarcely express everything she felt for Goliath, but she should damn well have tried! She might have said how much she admired him for his dedication in protecting the city, thanked him for his selflessness in saving mankind, or at least say that she found him attractive. Instead, she'd given nothing away until she'd latched on to his face!

At first, it felt great. She'd smiled all the way home that morning. But the next night, the scene began to replay in her mind and six days later it all looked like a terrible mistake. There was no question he'd been surprised. Who could blame him? Did gargoyles even kiss each other in the first place? Elisa didn't know, in fact she knew next to nothing about gargoyle courtship. It had never come up in any conversation she could remember. Why would it? Did he even know what that kiss was supposed to mean? With late night television at his disposal, he had to know about kissing, right? That made the detective frown. With late night T.V. as a guide to human intimacy, he was almost sure to get the wrong idea. Goliath always struck her as rather straight laced, so when Elisa suddenly thought about all the 900 number commercials she'd ever seen, it almost made her groan. It would look like she'd thrown herself at him. What would sweet, sensitive Goliath think of her now?

However much he had learned in their three years of acquaintance, Goliath was still a tenth century warrior in his ideals. To a man with his gentle demeanor and courtly manners, such a bold physical move could only come from a woman of loose morals. That was the heart of her worries right there, that he would be disgusted by her forward behavior and tell her in that stern, commanding, clan leader voice that he was totally uninterested. That was the voice he used when he called her at the station yesterday.

She'd been totally floored when he called her at work last night insisting to see her. "I must speak with you." He'd said. She'd felt like a child caught in the act of something naughty. Thankfully, her police training and experience instantly kicked in a beat later as she politely addressed him as "sir", and told him that would not be possible, smoothly agreeing to meet with him the following night. It was her night off and she had some errands to run, but 8:30 should give her plenty of time to complete them. She thought she heard a growl, but he had agreed. So she couldn't be late now.

Finally coming to her apartment, Elisa jammed her key into the lock with frustrated force and bumped the door open with her hip. Stepping into her dark apartment, she had only enough time to nudge the door with her foot when he spoke. "You're late." She let out a startled gasp and jumped backward, pressing her back into her front door and closing it with a loud bang. He was only a foot away from her at most. The produce had tumbled to the floor, oranges went rolling across the carpet but he was so close, Elisa couldn't get down to pick them up.

"Goliath! I-I didn't see you," She sputtered breathlessly. In fact she still couldn't see him. The only light came from the window behind him, the glow of the city and the moon barely there.

"But I can see you perfectly." His tone was almost playful. What was he planning? "You were expecting me, weren't you?" Large wings flared out blocking most of the meager light and making her squint to see his features. His hair had a funny cast in the moon light, she decided. Why hadn't she ever noticed before?

"I asked you to come. I was just hoping to beat you here so I could get dinner started and", she stopped when he buried his face in her hair unexpectedly.

"I'm afraid I'm not hungry food," he breathed against her temple. In all honesty, this was kind of hot, but somehow it still felt wrong. All this close contact in the dark was odd, like he was trying too hard to be mysterious. She edged right, toward the kitchen and the nearest light switch. "Er, let me just turn on the -"

"No." He blocked her movement with his body, and Elisa felt him tear the groceries away, heard them crash to the floor where he flung them. She squeaked in surprise, and heard his dark chuckle as he pressed impossibly closer. "I can see you perfectly." This couldn't be- Surely this wasn't, turning him on? He was tense against her just inches from her face. Her heart pounding loud in her ears, she felt chill with sudden fear. Something was terribly wrong, he had never made her feel afraid before. Goliath didn't act like this, not with her. He caught her shoulders in a bruising grip, Ember-red eyes glowed with barely contained violence.

Wait. Red?

_Thailog!_ Her mind screamed frantically. He surged forward, crushing Elisa's body against the door, the fangs of his open mouth nicking her bottom lip. His tongue forced its way in and Elisa, overtaken with outrage, wasted only a few seconds before clenching her teeth down hard on the offending flesh.

Her attacker made a heavy grunt of displeasure before thick talons clenched around her throat and his face ripped away from her. He turned into the shadows for a moment, wiping at his mouth with his free hand. "That was uncalled for detective." He sounded annoyed. Good. "I would have played Goliath for you a little longer."

"I bet you would." Elisa tried not to choke, tried to loosen his grip on her neck with her fingers. Goliath was coming. He would be here soon. She just had to hold out until then.

"Now you've ruined the game, you'll just have to make do with me." He abruptly released her, but was just as quick to restrain Elisa by her upper arms. "Shall we start again?" He asked silkily while pulling her against him.

A little panicked, the detective took a shot at his groin with her knee. It was not her first choice of attacks, but out-gunned as she was, there weren't many options open. She only succeeded in grazing her target, but that was more than enough to get herself thrown to the floor. Thailog didn't give her the chance to get up. Elisa pushed herself up from the carpet in time to see the shadowy fist coming at her. Her world exploded into colored lights and her body lay still.

****

Goliath let his frustration take his wings as he made his way to Elisa's apartment, spiraling around the city's obstacles in hope that the exercise would calm his emotional state. She had called him Sir! As if he was just another person; just another telephone call, just another meaningless interaction! What had she been playing at? Was this part of that 'hard-to-get' game humans played with each other? After all this wasted time, goliath was no longer interested in games! If she thought she could brush him aside like any other male- His left wing tip brushed a power line. He growled to himself reigning his temper in favor of safety.

He wasn't being fair. Of course she had probably had an audience when she'd been speaking to him, and had to make it sound like any other conversation. But it still hurt to be spoken to as though it wasn't important that he wanted to see her. After a whole week without any contact, he was desperate to hear from her. Didn't she miss him? The way he missed her? After she'd let him stroke her soft hair and touch her face so intimately, after she'd kissed him of her own volition, he thought for sure she'd be back as soon as the sun set again. When he'd awoken on an empty tower instead, Goliath had had to remind himself that the 23rd precinct had recently been attacked. It was more than plausible that Elisa was too busy to see them. But was it unreasonable to think she could manage a few minutes for them in week? If she really meant what her kiss implied, she might have at least been the one to call him! Though perhaps that was unreasonable too. Males were supposed to do the courting of females, not the other way around.

Veering west, the leader of the Manhattan Clan pondered again the conclusion he'd come to in the past week of her absence; that Elisa's behavior since the Hunter's Moon could mean one of two things. Either she meant to make herself receptive to his attentions and was waiting for him to make the next move, or she would give him a set down when he arrived tonight. It crushed him to think that the latter was probably the most likely to happen. Other males, like the hunter Jason, would vie for her attention, and Goliath knew he could never compete with a man who could take her to wife, provide for her and give her children. Oh, he'd been so happy with their stolen moment on the tower. For so long he had hoped his human companion might look upon him with love, that each might heal the other's loneliness. Now that moment was gone forever, leaving his heart heavy with doubt. Breathing deeply, the gargoyle resolved to face whatever fate might have in store for him. Circling Elisa's rooftop apartment once, he dropped in to land.

The apartment was dark, so it wasn't until he got to the window that he saw it standing open. She was expecting to meet him, perhaps she had left it open herself, though she had never done so before. Quiet as a shadow, the gargoyle stepped carefully over the sill. He expected the welcoming cry of Elisa's cat, Cagney, who was always happy to see any gargoyle visitor. Tonight however, the apartment was still, there was no greeting of any kind. Looking around for the absent feline, Goliath saw something round by the entryway. An orange, upon closer inspection.

He froze. Not just an orange. Grapes and some leafy greens lay limp, barely inside their torn paper sack. Milk pooled on the kitchen tile around a cracked milk carton next to a few spots of blood. Blood! A struggle! Elisa had been here, and he was too late! Keen nostrils flared, taking in the salty sweat of Elisa's fear, the metal of human blood. She had bled! Been frightened in her own home, and he only minutes away! Heavy guilt seeped in his gut, but there wasn't time for that. Her womanly scent was fading, she was gone and he must pick up the trail before any more time went by. Crouching on the floor, the gargoyle tried in vain to pick up a distinguishing scent-mark from the blood. It wasn't hers, so at least she hadn't been seriously hurt. Cold consolation.

Removing the small radio from the pouch on his belt, Goliath called his clan, summoning Hudson his second, Brooklyn. Both arrived in minutes, uneasy over their leader's frantic communication, and further dismayed by the mess on scene.

"She was taken." Hudson stated calmly. Stooping over the mess of groceries, the old warrior scented the air delicately. Sifting through the bouquet cilantro, citrus, salt and yeast, he identified what Goliath couldn't, that the blood droplets smelled like Thailog.

"No Way!" Brooklyn turned on the light by the sofa. "He's supposed to be dead!"

"Aye, well, it wasn't any deid mun bleedin' in th' kitchen."

The lavender gargoyle stared at his elder, sitting down in the nearest dining chair. "I couldn't smell him," their leader said more to himself than anyone. "Thailog has been here waiting for her, and I couldn't tell."

"Dinna be too hard on yerself, lad." He gripped the younger gargoyle by the shoulder in support. "His scent is too close to yer own, it would be more difficult for you to catch." The elder studied his former pupil with concern. "An' you can bet he didna come in here w'blood on 'im. Our lass did that."

"Hey," Brooklyn called their attention from the hall. "He's been back here too." Brooklyn followed his nose down the hall, leading the other two. The bathroom door was open at the end with contents of the medicine cabinet scattered all across the counter, spilling into the floor. The door on the left was open too. A feline hiss sounded somewhere in the darkness. Red talons flicked the light on, revealing another mess.

Overall, the clan second liked the bedroom décor. The bed had a wrought iron frame, and there were black accents throughout, but the rest was done in light colors. To him, the bed seemed overlarge for one small detective, but the printed bedclothes of light blue and sea green had a calming effect. Curtains over the window matched the blue in the bed spread, as did the pale green dresser across the room. If the place hadn't been ransacked, it could be quite cozy.

As it was now, it looked like there had been a fight. Sliding doors had been pushed open revealing a colorful array of clothing. It was mostly half hanging above a pile of apparently discarded things and broken hangers. There were some shoes still in the closet, but most had been strewn about the bedroom floor. Someone had gone through her dresser too. Taking in the white flowers painted around the handle, instead of looking at the lacey things inside, Brooklyn pushed one drawer shut. "Oh." Like the last piece of a puzzle, closing the one drawer revealed the three long gashes that trailed down the face of the bureau. "Cagney," the red gargoyle began worriedly.

"He's doon here." Hudson assured from the floor. He spoke softly to the space under the bed. "C'mon on now, my lad. Yer safe."

Goliath hadn't thought to search the rest of the apartment, so focused was he on where Elisa had been attacked. She hadn't gotten any farther than her front door, and he hadn't been able to pick up anything else. He felt guilty entering this room, as he'd never been invited here before. He felt a bit sick standing in the devastation that should be Elisa's private space.

"Do you think he took anything?" Brooklyn wondered.

"If he did, we wouldn't know." Hudson scooped up the still wary cat. "The real question is, why take her? Why now?"

The young warrior laughed mirthlessly. "The guy's short one Delilah, isn't he? I think we can guess!"

Goliath winced and turned away, heading back to the main room. Hudson cuffed the clan second on the head with his free hand. "Are there rocks in yer heid? Don't say enna thing like that when we get home, understand? Goliath's a big lad, but you'll make Angela cry, an' we're not havin' that!"

They came out to find their leader in the kitchen, stowing the grocery bags in the fridge. "We will leave now. Perhaps Xanatos can tell us something." His elder nodded, and his second said nothing, but followed.


	2. Captive

Gradually, consciousness dawned. Her aching body slowly made itself known, as if it were shy and didn't really want to be discovered. The shoulder was painful, but that would probably ease if she weren't laying on it. The right side of her face was almost numb with cold while the left side burned. It hurt to swallow.

Elisa shifted, gathered her arms under her chest, and pushed herself up to sit before opening her eyes. The left one refused to do any more than squint. Her vision blurred at first, swimming unwillingly into focus. Stone walls on three sides, some type of old brick work, and bars made up the fourth wall. There was a window on the other side of the bars, in the east wall, letting in a cool breeze and fresh mid-day sunlight. She was in a cell; it was cold, damp, and _fuzzy_ in some places. Ugh.

Knowing she would be alone by day, the detective took stock of her surroundings. There was nothing in her dank little room except a water dish, which appeared to be new, made of stainless steel, and affixed to the rusting bars from the outside. Like the water dish, the lock on the door had been updated. She would need a key card to open it. _How sweet of him to __**refurbish**__ the hole he put me in,_ Elisa thought acidly. A drain was hiding in the floor near the southwest corner, almost completely overtaken by a healthy garden of black and deep green moss that was slowly growing across the floor and up the walls.

Rising slowly, she pulled herself up by the bars. Leaning forward over the water, the detective tried to look out. Just outside the cell, the light danced down a corridor that she couldn't see the end of. Clean water from the demeaning dish reflected the bruised and swollen flesh of her left eye and temple back at her. She almost smiled; it wasn't the worst she'd ever had. The shoulder felt a bit better too.

*****

Thailog watched his captive wake absently. She wouldn't be happy to see him again, but that was really the least of his worries. Humans were much more fragile than they believed themselves to be. A day or two in her cell would take the fight out of her. If she got hungry enough, his biting bitch would certainly come to heel.

How much more time would it take him to win her over? The farther Goliath had gotten with her the easier this would be, although if Demona were to be believed, detective Maza was an obstinate human at best. Still, it was possible his father had gotten farther with her than he knew. Not likely, but possible. They had apparently been traveling together before he'd seen them in Paris, so there was hope for that. Her attachment to him would be her weakness, the child her ultimate undoing. So surely, if he put the right spin on things…

Another sharp crack sounded over his shoulder and his thoughts turned to the other problem. Would it survive to give him the time he needed? Too late now to put it in a tank, and without Delilah, he might not have this opportunity again. If only she hadn't been so stupid, so easily lead. Programming loyalty, it seemed, was not the easiest of tasks. On the off chance this new plan fell through, she could possibly be wooed back, he would just have to wait and see how things panned out.

*****

Detective Matthew Bluestone paced at the foot of the castle tower fidgeting and checking his watch impulsively, waiting for the exact moment the sun set. The grey cat who waited with him paid him no mind, staring fixedly at the slumbering gargoyles from, what Matt assumed, was a safe distance.

The last forty-eight hours had been hell on the detective. Getting that call from Xanatos about Elisa gone missing from her apartment had been one of the worst conversations of his life. Only slightly worse had been the oppressive silence of her empty apartment. He had never been in Elisa's bedroom before, as that was well out of the bounds of professionalism, but it had been so… her. And not the image of herself that she wore at the station, no part of the punk busting Amazon she pretended to be had ever been within those walls. Elisa's room and all it contained embodied a side of her that he had rarely seen; the ordinary woman. The best friend, the child, the mother, the sister, and possibly the lover, lived in that room. She kept her real self shut away in that little room like a secret, never to be seen or touched but a worthy few. Bluestone himself was only one of these because of horrible circumstance, and since the death of his mother, Elisa Maza was the most important person in his life.

Even prepared, the crackling of stone skin startled the anxious detective, sharply ejected from his thoughts by the sound that was almost firecrackers. How his partner ever got used to this….

"Bluestone." Dropping from the tower like a stone, the gargoyle leader appeared almost instantly beside him. The others collected quickly around them too, eager for news. "Anything?"

"No. The department knows she's MIA, so everyone's keeping an eye out at least. But I- I didn't tell Derek."

"Why Not? He's her brother, he should know." Under different circumstances, Goliath might have been more upset that his specific request hadn't been attended to. His heart wasn't in it tonight however. His clan was gathering around him and together they would go for an update from Xanatos. Perhaps in the last 12 hours of daylight, one of the humans had found something.

"I know you wanted me to, but I got to thinking that where Thailog is involved, we should try to keep the clones out of it, if possible." He took a tired breath before he continued. "And Derek Maza is several things his sister is not. I like the guy and all, but he's more brawn than brain sometimes."

Brooklyn folded his arms with a short grunt. "Tell me about it."

"With the city the way it is now, the last thing we need is an angry mutate running around half cocked. Anyway, if we can figure out where we need to go, we can call him then. It's not like he has much else to do, and unless we have a lead, I don't see any reason to make her folks worry just yet." Matt watched as the clan leader briefly considered these points. If he didn't know better, he would have said Goliath hadn't slept. He looked worried, and that didn't bode well.

"Very well. Come. We will hear a report from Xanatos." The detective knew he wasn't the only one wishing they could do without the multi-billionaire downstairs. The wings around him caped and everyone else fell in without complaint, so Bluestone followed their example.

*****

Goliath and his entourage came through the office doors unannounced, as usual, as though he were the king of all before him. Everyone who saw the gargoyle leader took him seriously, he moved and spoke expecting others to obey. And it worked. Even on enemies it worked a little. David Xanatos would know, he would kill to be able to walk with that kind of confidence. It was the reason he always had to smile at Goliath in the early days of their acquaintance; to remind himself that his then adversary had no real power over him. Short of being able to snap him in half, of course.

"Xanatos. You have news?"

"Some, although I'm not sure how useful it will be." He rose from his leather chair to address the whole clan. "According to Nightstone's financial department, Alexander Thailog has retired. I've known that much for some time. I assumed it was the cleanest way for Demona to take full control of the company since she couldn't have declared him dead without a body. What I didn't know is that a retirement pension is actually being paid out."

"If we can find out where this money is going, we will find him?" This sounded too simple to Goliath, who knew nothing about banking save that it was a complicated affair wherever people like Xanatos were involved.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy. The money from his retirement pension is divided up among several accounts, in all the prominent markets. All Thailog needs is a computer, and he can manage his money from anywhere in the world." Blinking, with brow ridges furrowed, they all appeared to think for a moment.

"Demona wouldn't be paying him if she thought he was dead." The detective asserted. "Especially after how things turned out with him."

"Then Demona's always known he was still alive? Then why didn't she go after him?" Lexington asked.

Broadway thought he knew the answer, "She probably ran into the same problem we did. The trail splits in different directions."

"Then, what we need is a closer look at his bank records." Bluestone concluded. "Where ever he's hiding he needs things; food, water, electricity. We need to see where he's spending his money, that will give us a better idea of where to look."

"Can you get them?" Goliath's manner was calculating, a look the detective had never seen.

"I don't think so. Demona won't give me anything unless she has to, and I can't get anything legally with out going through a judge. It's possible I could call in a favor and get the bank's website hacked, but without a specific account number, I'm not sure how far we'll get."

"Mmm. Angela, I believe this is a job for you my daughter."

"Me?" She shook her head. "I don't think I can help with bank numbers."

Incredibly, her father smiled, touching her shoulders affectionately. "I want you to telephone Demona." He ignored the collective gasp. "Lexington will help you. Tell her we know Thailog is alive and that the two of you have found a way to cause him some trouble. Tell her nothing of me or Elisa. If she asks, I do not know what you are doing. Get what ever kind of personal information she has on him. I daresay she'll be so pleased with you, she won't ask many questions." His dark eyes gleamed with a cunning inner light.

The girl positively beamed, she was so proud to be able to help. Lexington was no less excited, pulling her out of the office by the hand. "Come on, Angela, I've already got a story for her."

"Report back as soon as you're done." Their leader ordered as the two all but ran to do his bidding.

"Yes, Father, we will!" Matt couldn't help grinning. Elisa was right, Goliath understood more than he let on, and now Bluestone thought he understood some of her attraction to him.

*****

Elisa was trapped. There was no way around it now. She'd been over every crack and crevice of her cell. Nothing to show for it either, no loose bricks, crumbling mortar, or rattling bars. No light fixtures, or vents, or anything to use as a tool or weapon. This lack of so many things lead to one very bored prisoner.

At the end of day two, she hadn't seen her kidnapper, which meant there hadn't been anything to eat since she'd come to. And that really was odd, she thought. There was no reason for him to take her unless she had something he wanted, or Goliath did, which wasn't likely. And, well, he'd made Delilah hadn't he? It was logical to assume he'd brought her here to- for a companion of sorts.

She shuddered at the cold and the feeling that small things were crawling under her skin. It didn't bear thinking about. Really, the best case scenario was that he wanted to make another clone and needed building material.

What really disturbed her, apart from the gnawing feeling in her stomach, was that remark he'd made about pretending to be Goliath for her. At first she'd wondered what he knew, but there wasn't anything to know. So where did he get that? Had he been watching them since they got back to New York? They had certainly been sending signals to each other over the past few weeks. Maybe Thailog had seen them together and read a little farther in to the story than they actually were. If he thought Goliath had her, that might be part of this senseless attraction; the idea that he was stealing from his 'father'. He'd had plenty of fun taking money from Xanatos, so it made sense right?

Watching the sunset light dim her sad surroundings, she couldn't help thinking about her guardian angel. She'd been knocked out for most of the night and all the next morning, what had happened when she wasn't there to meet him? Did he even know she was missing? If he came by her place and saw all the lights off, he would probably have waited for her, but for how long? How long would he wait before he decided he'd been stood up and went home? The groceries Thailog had thrown would have left a mess, but if Goliath didn't come inside, would he see them? If he didn't see any sign that she'd been there and then didn't hear from her for days, would Goliath just assume she'd changed her mind about the whole thing?

No, he trusted her. He'd worry and check in with Matt. Or vice versa, even so, some one would know she was gone by now. They'd be looking for her. Now if only she had some idea of where she was…

"Good Evening." His voice was a low, creeping predator that smirked at her even as he did. Elisa was glad she hadn't jumped, looking scared wouldn't be helpful. "I thought you might be getting lonely in here." She said nothing, staring distrustfully at his face from the corner she'd been leaning in. A tense and silent moment passed. "Why don't you come up to the house? I'll show you to your room and you can get cleaned up before dinner." Her captor pulled a key card from his belt, swiped at the locked door, and with a mild _**meep**_, the door slid open.

_Right. I'm not just gonna follow the rich gargoyle pervert! _Elisa's mind was made up about that, but her stomach rumbled it's own thoughts. As much as she'd rather be a hostile prisoner, she had to go willingly. What good would refusing be if he was only going to make her? Fighting would just get her hurt and escape would be easier if she were physically intact. Escape would also be easier if she were somewhere outside this cell. Against her better judgment, she said nothing and obeyed.

She followed him down the short hall, noting two more cells ill equipped for prisoners. These were also overgrown with wet mosses and enclosed by rusted bars. Three stone steps led up to the door-less exit and into a darkened corridor.

"Why don't you lead my dear?" Thailog nudged her forward. "Take the turn to the right and up the stairs."

Feeling her way by brushing against the right wall, she followed her captors' directions. Faced with a few minutes of moderate exercise, Elisa already felt her body's weakness. Several flights of stairs had her breathing heavily and she tired quickly, though they couldn't have been climbing five minutes before she saw light. This was part of the plan, she realized, this was the reason she'd spent two days alone in her cell. This was his way of making her cooperate.

Their destination turned out to be a well lit room reminiscent of the Great Hall at Castle Wyvern. Leading her by the arm, Thailog crossed the cavernous rectangular room. The walls were hung with tapestries and expensive looking landscape paintings, placed both above and below a banistered walkway that connected the rooms of the story overhead. He stopped in front of one of the doors on this floor. Seeing immediately that it was an elevator, the detective wearily waited while Thailog tapped a five digit code into a keypad set into the wall beside it. The system beeped at them and he led her inside, still with a steady grip on her upper arm.

They came out two stories up, above the big room they'd been in before. The hallways here were wholly different from the floors below. More modern, these wide halls wore plush carpeting in a rich sapphire blue. They passed by several gleaming wood doors before her host halted their progress, unlocking one of the doors with a simple key.

"Your room," Thailog announced invitingly, guiding her inside with a firm hand on her lower back. He touched a white panel just inside the doorway, making a crystal chandelier flash to life from the ceiling center, revealing the elegant room he called hers. She shivered at its' opulence. It was done mostly in a rich berry red; accents in bronze and cream mingled throughout from the Victorian rug on the wood floor to the textured wallpaper. A canopied four poster bed swelled with pillows, a marble mantle shone proudly, and a small adjoining washroom boasted a claw footed bathtub with glinting copper feet. Under different circumstances, Elisa might have said the bedroom was lovely. As things were at the moment, she was determined to hate it despite its' beauty. "Now clean yourself up. I shall return for you shortly."

The polished door slid shut from inside the wall, effectively sealing her within what was evidently her new cage. Now alone, she turned to inspect the door itself, hoping to find a way past it. There was no knob or lock on this side, but even the strongest wood door could be gotten by with a little persistence. As soon as she touched it however, Elisa discovered her bedroom door was actually made of metal, fashioned to look like wood. Not only that, it locked into the top and bottom of the frame, bolting closed to both the floor and the wall above. There would be no escape from here.

She'd had some hope for the window paneled French doors that lead to a balcony, but when she opened them they offered her no more chance at freedom than the fire place. Her room faced a steep and rocky cliff side, which began at least four stories below her and continued several hundred feet down. It was probably meant to be easy access for a certain gargoyle visitor. The land fell away from Thailog's home in a picturesque valley of meadows and evergreen trees. In the distance, an isolated piece of civilization glowed with it's own light, but the skyline bore no resemblance to New York as she knew it. Where had he taken her? Yanking the balcony doors closed again, the detective stalked back to the bathroom for a much needed soak. He might be back anytime, and there would be plenty of time to explore all her possibilities during the day. For now, she needed food and compliance was the only way to get it.

Thailog had, obnoxiously, thought of everything. Several different kinds of soaps and shampoos awaited her along with shelves of fluffy towels and a choice of bathrobes. She took the first robe and towel to hand, and selecting a soap bar of an oatmeal persuasion, turned the bathwater to a steamy temperature. Determined to be naked in this place for as little time as possible, she was scrubbing vigorously before the tub was even half full. At last, she had finished lathering her hair, and sunk below the surface to rinse. Elisa had half risen from the tub and was reaching for the towel before she saw him watching her from the bedroom beyond. Gasping, she retreated back to the water with a splash.

"Hiding?" He asked mockingly. "That doesn't sound like you. Fear not, though you are sadly very human, your body is not without it's charms." Her face flushed, the detective scowled at his derision. Determining that whatever happened, she would not be afraid, she swiftly grabbed for her towel and showed nothing but a glare in doing so. He was lounging on the red-cushioned settee, watching her intently while she tucked the towel firmly around her body. She snatched up a second towel for her hair and walked purposefully from the bathtub to the wardrobe without looking at him.

The mirrored vanity and its' matching wardrobe were no less surprising than the bathroom had been. The room came with a wide array of colorful clothing, mostly dresses, and a small library of dainty slipper-like shoes. Scowling, Elisa chose a long-sleeved dress in dark green, sweeping it behind an antique looking dressing screen. He obviously had no intention of leaving, so she dressed as quickly as possible, making sure nothing was uncovered for more that a few seconds. He was standing when she finished and came around the screen, and closer than he had been.

"You look beautiful," He said while she glared at him. "And I have just the thing for your hair." Guiding her to the bench at the vanity table, he made her sit in front of the mirror before presenting her with a pair of gold combs. They were decorated with pink flowers and intricate ivy leaves, both appeared to be wrought with metal and painted. "I want you to wear it up tonight." He watched her reflection expectantly until she reached for the gold-backed brush and comb. She didn't like her hair up, thought it made her look matronly, and her inexpert skill in securing it frustrated her more in his presence. It took some minutes and numerous hair pins, but with some effort, her thick tresses were tamed enough for dinner, assuming she didn't shake her head for any reason.

Apparently satisfied with her appearance, Thailog lead her out with her hand tucked into the crook of his arm as if they were a couple. His gesture put the detective on edge; angry as she was already, the stress of the evening so far was wearing heavily on her. Reminding her exhausted self that food was not far away, Elisa held her body proudly upright, walking with dignity through the seeming labyrinth of posh rooms and corridors that she no longer had the focus to note.

Dinner was not what Elisa had been expecting. The dining room was just as immaculate as every other room, and as such was completely unremarkable, that much she had expected. Given the bedroom and the clothes, his apparent generosity in gifting her with hair combs, not to mention the showy walk-through of the manor house, Thailog was obviously trying to put his best foot forward. Now that he'd taken the trouble to dig her out of the cell he put her in, he was puffing himself up like a grossly over-sized toad, showcasing his power, his pride, and in his mind, his strength. It was all a show for her benefit, and Elisa was wise to it. Hence she was expecting to see a variety of rich foods; likely various meats that her gargoyles enjoyed, with some of the nastier things, like snails, she imagined Xanatos typically feasted on. As hungry as she was, she found she was actually looking forward to the meal. So long as she got to eat, Thailog could posture all he wanted.

What she had not expected, were the table settings, or rather the lack thereof. The smorgasbord of food was laid out prettily, most of it no more than a gargoyles' arms' length away from the fancy china platter that would be Thailog's dinner plate. He had several forks, three different glasses, and all the proper spoons, while Elisa had a cushioned stool next to a generously sized chair that was clearly also his.

Thailog bade her sit, and by now, her tired body was more than ready to sit down and the rest of her more than a little miffed that she didn't have the luxury of leaning back. He didn't spare her a look, focusing instead on building himself a plate of gargoyle proportions. He had taken several happy bites before he turned to offer her a forkful of the shrimp linguini. The detective tensed trying to keep down the urge to smack that smirk off his face. He was going to feed her?! Of all the high-handed, humiliating things he could do! She knew this tactic, making her dependant upon him for everything she needed, conditioning her to look for his approval; he was trying to mold her into a biddable female, a Delilah.

He pushed the fork closer to her face, her mouth watered. Obediently, Elisa took the bite and swallowed her pride. It tasted as good as it smelled. Her captor watched her chewing intently. She let him stare, ignoring his attention.

"You're lovelier than I remember you." The soft spoken compliment inflamed her bitter feelings.

He offered her a branch of steamed broccoli, which she took before replying. "Not as lovely as Delilah, I'm sure." Though her tone was thick with ice, this did nothing to deter his attempts at flirtation and flattery.

"You're the Real McCoy, detective. Delilah pales by comparison." The next bite would be cantaloupe and a red grape.

"I could say the same about you." The fruit was withdrawn.

Thailog looked steadily into her face, his gaze assessing. "If you're going to be difficult, I can take you directly back to your room without any supper. Is that what you want?"

Her stiff "No" was only barely discernable, forced as it was through clenched teeth. Pride and rage seethed in the angry boil of her blood. Being so wholly at a disadvantage physically speaking was calamitous misfortune in itself, made worse for the fact of being his prisoner. Her only option was escape; the hope that opportunity would present itself at a time when her mind and physical ability were agile enough to manage a solution. But there was no hope at all without sustenance. If he made her beg for every last bite, she had little choice but to do so, though it might cost her her own self respect.

"I thought so. Now, let's continue our conversation, shall we?" Again he held out the sample of fresh fruit for her, and Elisa willed herself to chew it slowly. Not knowing how much of his conversation she could stomach, she determined to savor what food she got.

"It's kind of romantic to feed you this way, isn't it?"

"If you say so." This was apparently good enough for another mouthful. Perhaps if she responded where necessary, her efforts would be rewarded?

"I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I do. Just being this close to you is very exciting. Almost like meeting you in your apartment." Not by any means thrilled to hear what excited Thailog, Elisa said nothing, and vainly hoped for silence in return. "I like being close to you."

"Is that a fact," Mm, calamari.

"Yes." He looked over the table, briefly considering which delicacy to offer next. He settled on some barbeque pork, talking even as he cut her a dainty piece. "Being this close, it makes me think of touching you." He turned back to her and she leaned forward immediately, snatching the fork away and popping the meat in her mouth.

"Y'know," She said around her mouthful, "I'd really prefer you didn't even think about it."

Elisa didn't get the chance to draw another breath as Thailog lunged, seizing her wrist and hauling her off her seat and onto her knees in the floor bedside him. When he spoke, his voice betrayed none of the violent dominance of his actions. "You are not in any position to make demands, detective. You may keep your, preferences, to yourself until I ask you for them." The fork disappeared from her grasp and she was instantly released. He turned his eyes back to his plate as though nothing had happened.

He didn't look at her again until she tried to rise and return to her chair. Her movements brought his large taloned toes down almost on her hand, catching the long skirt of her dinner dress under it's weight. "Stay where you are," He ordered even as he presented her with more of the linguini. There was no more variety in food for the rest of dinner. She received bite after bite of the shrimp and pasta in white sauce, but though it was filling, the detective could hardly be grateful.

After the first few bites, he began to play with her, coiling the noodles only loosely on the tines of his fork, that he might flop their ends outside her mouth. The result was that she'd had to slurp the loose ends into her mouth, trailing alfredo on her chin and sometimes embarrassingly lower.

"Do you mind handing me a napkin?" she asked indignantly.

"So you can spoil my fun? Sorry Miss Maza, you'll have to do without." In the end, she was forced to wipe the mess away with a few fingers despite the uncomfortable focus of Thailog's watching red eyes.

He smiled as she finished licking her lips, flashing pearly fangs. "Are you finished?" She cast him a withering glare, which he interpreted as a yes, and pulled her firmly to her feet, leading her out by the wrist once more. "Well then, I think dinner was a success, don't you?"

A success? By who's standards, she wondered? She had been adequately fed, and whatever his purpose had been, he'd gotten more enjoyment from her than she could comfortably stomach, but success implied there had been some point to it all. But there had to be a point, didn't there? Thailog was a planner, a strategizer, like Xanatos. He didn't do anything without purpose, and if she didn't figure out what his purposes were…. She pictured Goliath without meaning to, pictured his expression when he'd wake and find her waiting for him. The memory of him seemed so far away now….

Thailog continued his brisk gait left and down a flight of steel stairs they hadn't used on their way to dinner. "Where are we going?" Elisa tried to sound demanding, but wasn't at all certain she'd kept the tremor of panic out of her voice.

"Before we part, I have a little proposition for you." His friendly tone echoed strangely in the passage of shiny stainless steel.

"No."

"Don't!" He swung her angrily into the wall by the sliding double door he'd been leading her to. "Be so hasty." He smiled with vicious amusement. "You could be very happy here, you know. With me."

"I don't-" She started to protest, but had to stop when he gave her a rough shake.

"You don't know how persistent I can be. I can give you anything; everything you want and more."

Elisa hissed at that. "I want you to let me go."

"I don't think so. Not that I underestimate your abilities - you're a resourceful woman and I don't doubt you could make it - but we are some ways off from the nearest town, and it will snow any day now."

He caressed her temple with the backs of his talons. The action matched the queer look he was giving her but contrasted with the death grip on her arm. "That's one thing I've always admired about you, your resourcefulness. However I would rather not risk your safety."

If he was trying to cast some romantic spell on her, it wasn't going to work. "Save the sweet talk! Nothing you can say is going to keep me here." He ignored this statement.

"I'm going to give you a present, Elisa Maza. Something your precious Goliath can never give you." He nuzzled the side of her face and whispered even as she tried to struggle away. "I'm going to give you a child."

She had only enough time to look completely horrified before the door beside her flashed open and he all but threw her past it, making her stumble and fall on the cold floor beyond.

_*****_


	3. Secrets

"You told him how to find her?!" Angela practically screamed into the phone in disbelief.

In hindsight, this conversation had gone downhill extraordinarily fast, threatening the shaky truce mother and daughter had enjoyed for the last hour. Angela it seemed, was a temperamental young one, and though she was loath to admit it, Demona had to concede this wasn't a trait she'd inherited from Goliath. As much as she wanted them to be friends, this relationship was more than difficult. It was as if nothing she did was right for this child! To be fair, there was really only one concession her daughter demanded: that her mother learn to live in peace with all humans. But after all her years of living, the extermination of the human race was hardly a negotiable point!

Demona's voice was cajoling in answer to her daughter's hysterics. "Try to understand; we were partners, lovers. I thought his goals were the same as mine. It only made sense to share information."

Unfortunately, her daughter was in no mood for explanations of any sort. "What I_**understand** _is that you set Thailog on my friend!

"_**That**_ human is not _**my**_ friend, nor should she be yours!"

"How could you do this? You knew she was important to me."

"I've told you before that humans have no place in gargoyle clans. I know this from experience! Anyway, her protection is Goliath's problem and no concern of mine."

"Did you even consider how I would feel if something happened to Elisa?"

"If she was too stupid to move after I found her apartment, she deserves whatever she gets!"

"You, you-" Angela stuttered in ruby-eyed rage, her voice choked with both growls of anger and desperate tears. "You don't understand anything, do you? You're just exactly what father says, you only see your own agenda! Do you know what he could do to her?!"

Presuming correctly that the Maza woman had been the coveted female all along, Demona felt she had every idea what Thailog would want to do with the human. It was a nauseating picture, but she could console herself with the knowledge that the detective probably wouldn't enjoy it as much as she had. "My daughter, you're obviously very upset-"

"Of course I'm upset! Elisa is my best friend. She is _**clan**_! Her protection isn't just father's problem, it's mine!"

There was an audible sniffle, followed by a wet sounding sob from the other end. Demona was surprised to actually feel her heart crack at the sound of her hatchling's grief. What had brought on all this emotion? Had something actually happened to Elisa Maza? Strange that the idea didn't bring her any happiness…

"I don't know why I expected you to understand that, you only ever look out for yourself!" Stabbing at the off button with a thumb talon, she forced herself to take a long, slow, deep breath. Lexington, who had become silent as soon as Demona had said Elisa's name, remained as small and unobtrusive as any gargoyle could while Angela glowered at the cordless phone she still clenched in her palm. The sudden appearance of her father was what ultimately kept her from hurling the receiver across the room.

"Angela? Owen gave me a package fo-" He stopped immediately, taken aback by her cross and tear stained expression. "My daughter? What's wrong? Didn't Demona want to talk-"

"Oh," she let go of the phone, letting it drop to the floor with minimal damage. "Don't even mention her name to me!" Angela brushed by her father, brusquely relieving him of the package she had been expecting and inadvertently reminding him more of Princess Catherine than he liked. Goliath let her go, knowing she would be on her way to the Music Room and that he could obtain any pertinent information from Lexington.

Angela **was **on her way to the Music Room, where she had been spending most of her time since Elisa's kidnapping. While this particular room boasted several instruments, and a mini recording studio, Angela was more interested in the stereo system, and the sound proof privacy provided by these walls.

The young gargoyle missed Elisa more than she could describe in words, and had been motivated by her loss to 'borrow' a few of Elisa's CDs. Despite being specifically told not to go there, Angela had slipped off to the detective's apartment the night following the police woman's abduction. Detective Bluestone, Elisa's partner, had already been there, hovering over the destruction of the bed room when Angela let herself in. They had said their polite hellos and she asked after any news he might have found, though she knew he'd have reported anything he had. Going through the motions of responding, Matt seemed so distracted, lost even, that she might not have been there at all. He stared around without touching, looking through, rather than at, the things around him, and she had decided not to bother him. Bluestone might have come looking for clues, and he didn't need her help with that.

In any case, she was there for her own reasons. She had come to find some piece of her friend, a sign or symbol that she could take away with her, something to help her hold on to hope for Elisa's safety. After a little harmless snooping, she found what she was looking for in the form of Detective Maza's CD collection. Two neat stacks of brightly colored plastic cases caught her eye through the glass doors of the TV stand. In going through them, she quickly discovered they were all mix disks, but Angela didn't recognize any of the song titles. In fact, they didn't seem to be song titles. What kind of disks were these?

"Did you want to borrow those?" She jumped in surprise; Bluestone was right behind her!

"Well, I was thinking about it. I didn't think she would mind."

Matt shrugged. "She probably wouldn't, since it's you, but it's private stuff."

"Private? I thought it was just music."

"It is, but it's also her way of coping." Angela looked from him to the CDs without understanding. The detective tried to explain. "Being a police officer isn't just a job, it's a way of life. We see the worst of what people are capable of. We see good people go bad, get hurt, get desperate, and bad people some times get away. That kind of thing goes home with you when you leave and it's rough on a person to do live through that every day. Most of us need some way to deal with the stress. Elisa makes these CDs. See, the songs go along with a memory, an event, or a feeling."

"So the songs are titled by what they mean to her?"

"Right. This way, she can assign her thoughts and feelings to a song, store what's important to her and take it out to relive or re-examine later."

Angela found herself blinking back tears unexpectedly. These things were a direct link to her friend, this was exactly what she was hoping to find. "Can I borrow these? I promise I won't let anything happen to them."

"Sure. She has a few more in the car, I'll get them out and send them to you."

The gargoyle left for home a few minutes later, clutching the compact disks to her heart, much as she was doing now, in her rush to the haven of the Music Room.

Once inside, the brown paper wrapper was shredded, and Angela was soon spreading the six disks in front of her, wondering where to start. Some of the titles were telling, like, 'The Happy Apprehension of Gliding', but others were listed as emotions, places and sometimes people. Her eyes ran over the lists of what was on each CD, written in the small, neat script of Elisa's hand. 'Despair', 'Longing', 'Devotion'….. And then she stopped looking. The silver disk in the blue case contained a song with her name. Angela started with this disk, track number four.

*****

Thailog was close behind her, the door snapping shut automatically behind him. A card key was needed to get in and out of this room as well, the mechanism locking the sliding double doors with a short beep. There had been no necessity in heaving her to the floor, but from his slow, strolling strut, Elisa's captor had enjoyed the experience immensely. He walked casually past her when she had expected him to pounce, flicking on lights as he went around the perimeter of their clinical surroundings. As she was now being mostly ignored, the detective judged it wise to get to her feet while she could.

Lit by fluorescent fractions, the cavernous room began to take shape. Mixed feelings of uncertain dread and cautious curiosity brought her quickly back to her feet. It was a laboratory. Blinking lights of machinery peppered the floor space; unidentifiable apparatus hummed a cacophony of working rhythm. There were a few things she did recognize though, like the four huge maturation chambers used for clone production. The lighting remained around the walls, making the rooms' center comparatively dim. Even so, it was enough to see the machine at the heart of Thailog's laboratory: an incubator. Chest high, and lit from the inside, there could be little doubt of what it contained. Thailog stepped up beside it, proving that this was the highlight of the tour.

The gargoyle infant within lay still and lethargic. Without anything soft to cover it's little body, it was clearly a 'she' to Elisa, who tread cautiously closer for a better view. Her little eyes were hooded and unfocussed, leading to the suspicion that something was clearly wrong with her. Medicated perhaps, or just under stimulated; there was no way to tell how long Thailog had left her in there. However, despite the child's apparent disinterest in her surroundings, to the detective she was flawless. Her skin was closer in color to Goliath's than the charcoal of Thailog's, but there was a rosier aspect to her tone that made it an almost human shade. The downy black hair on her little head already had a cowlick at the front, and that hadn't come from either of the male gargoyles. Did that mean she had a mother, since she obviously wasn't a clone without abnormal coloring? Curiouser and curiouser.

"She's beautiful," the human breathed reverently with her palms against the transparent dome. A baby, how wonderful! She could almost forgive him for everything else.

"Do you think so? If you like her, she's yours." The detective turned a startled look on him. "I said I could give you a child," he said looking pleased with himself. "I would have preferred more traditional means, of course, but this will do for the present. We have plenty of time for other possibilities."

"But, you can't just give her to me; I don't know anything about hatchlings. I've never even seen one before! I can't-" In the space of a heartbeat, Thailog's expression changed, contorted with malice. His thick tail lashed out from behind him, muscles snapping like a whip. The incubation chamber pitched backwards, the thick plastic shell split with sharp crack that echoed in the vaulted ceiling above, broken pieces sliding away across the polished floor. The baby spilled out too, the fall rousing her enough that she began to cry. Elisa rushed to scoop her up from the wreckage, immediately checking for any hurts.

Thailog was triumphant. "There, you already care more for her than I do. Alive or dead, she's nothing to me, but I'll wager Goliath would do anything for such a child." He stared appraisingly at the detective who now held the squalling infant cradled against her chest, seeming at once, to come to a conclusion. "And so would you." He watched her gaze at the infant a few moments. "You will take her?"

The connection was instantaneous. Touching the tiny gargoyle was all that was required for the beginning of a bond so apparent, even Thailog had seen and taken note. Eight small fingers reached out, grasping, for affection and comfort, even as a fresh pair of hazel eyes searched the face of a new protector. "Yes," Elisa said breathlessly, inspired by such a warmth of feeling that she was rendered nearly speechless. They were together now, irreversibly, as mother and child, an idea which gave birth to a silent vow on Elisa's part, to give whatever of herself was required for the sake of the little life in her arms.

"Then it's settled; as long as you're here, I will allow you to take over her care. You'll want to name her of course; I'll leave that to you, provided you come up with something tolerable. The only question that remains, is what you will do for me in return."


	4. Truth

"Then it's settled; as long as you're here, I will allow you to take over her care. You'll want to name her of course; I'll leave that to you, provided you come up with something tolerable. The only question that remains, is what you will do for me in return."

Nothing. No response or acknowledgement. She didn't even look at him when he made a veiled threat! Elisa Maza was still fixed upon the infant gargoyle, taking in every inch of the thing, studying its' details. Thailog was pleased that she was impressed, but it wasn't **that **interesting! Oh well, at least the child could now be considered an asset. She had taken the bait as eagerly as he could have hoped, now as long as he had the child, he had the detective as well. All they lacked was a little time to bond.

"Would you like to feed her?" That gained him her eyes, though the look was wary with distrust.

"Yes please."

_**Please? **_Well, this was definitely progress, and in just a few short minutes! How bizarre that a human stranger would have a stronger reaction to the babe than it's own mother. What could be the reason behind that? "I'll have some made up for you tomorrow," he nodded graciously.

Tomorrow. He didn't have any food prepared? Not even for his own child? The soft fingertips she had traced over little pointed ears were suddenly clasped with child-like strength and directed to the baby's mouth. She was hungry! That was the reason for the baby's sluggishness earlier, the ugly schmuck hadn't bothered to feed her!

Remembering her own all too recent hunger pangs, Elisa felt her ire flare and tried to channel it into strength and control. Whatever her feelings, she could not allow herself to be seriously hurt in a confrontation. Thailog's intentions were becoming clear, this was him gaining some hold over her and she would let him succeed. He gave the baby to her to save himself the trouble of caring for it, and now had something to punish her with if she didn't play his games. The only way for her to win was to concede; she would have to ask him for what she needed.

"I would like to feed her now," Elisa said as lightly as possible, struggling to school her expression. "It makes sense to take care of things, while I'm here," she looked at him to see what he intended, but he let nothing slip. It would be stupid on his part to let her take the baby back to her room, a certain impossibility she wouldn't bother asking about. She permitted herself one more look at her new baby. How could he really not care? Elisa collected herself from the floor, standing tall. "If you'll tell me what to do, I'll make it myself."

He shrugged, turning his back to the both of them, opening some of the wall mounted cabinets that hung several inches above the detective's head. His rummaging produced several canisters of dry ingredients that he set around the deep set sink. Retrieving a medium sized beaker from another high shelf, Thailog began pouring approximate amounts of each ingredient into the beaker, then added warm water from the tap. Swirling the grey mixture around in one hand, he turned back to address his companion. "This should be acceptable for now, but I don't believe there are any spoons in here."

"What she really needs is a bottle. Do you have a big syringe, or something like that?"

He appeared to think for a moment. "Perhaps a pipette," he mused, opening a nearby drawer to sift through its' contents.

Elisa came up beside him to look for herself, and almost instantly found something acceptable: a bulb syringe. Made of sky blue rubber, the round bodied instrument fit easily into her palm. It looked just exactly like the one her mother used to treat ear infections when she was growing up. "This will work," she told him, taking it with her free hand to inspect it more closely. "Actually, the end might be a little too narrow for her, do you mind just nipping a quarter inch off the end?" Thailog satisfied this request readily, setting the beaker aside by the sink and pinching the rubber apart with the talon on his thumb.

Without warning, he grabbed her about the waist, lifting both her and the baby against the shadowy skin of his chest. By the time Elisa had gasped her surprise, the contact was broken and she was being carefully set down on the cold countertop. Thailog smiled down at her, an eerily tender expression on his face. The pause was brief; Thailog presented her with the 'baby food' almost instantly, while the detective blinked at it, belatedly remembering the bulb syringe she still held.

Her composure was shaken, but the effect could not hold her as Elisa laid the little gargoyle out on her lap. There was no need to look at him while she was guiding the hatchling to suckle at the nose of the syringe, indeed the baby's attempt at gnawing it took up all the detective's attention. Baby was a fast learner; once she got going, she drained the full syringe with little fuss or trouble. And left a number of tiny teeth marks in the rubber. Elisa noted these before squeezing the bulb and refilling it with the gruel. Was she teething already? As soon as Baby availed herself of a second helping, her human mother took a quick moment to check, briefly examining her charge's mouth with a fingertip. Sure enough, the gums were already lined with fine pointed teeth. This would have to be addressed with Thailog. Joy.

"She's going to need other things too, you know." She began, glancing up at the still hovering gargoyle after the tired infant took a third syringe. "Diapers, blankets, toys, something to wear. We should put her in another room too. It won't be safe for her in here."

He was shaking his head before she even finished talking. "Useless human nonsense. Gargoyles do not need blankets or toys. And she will stay in the lab."

"It's not nonsense," Elisa insisted, bringing Baby up on to her shoulder to rub her little back. "Toys help develop brain functions. And there's no reason she can't have a blanket to make her comfortable."

Thailog just rolled his eyes at her, ignoring her statement to open the drawer of a medical supply table on wheels. He showed her the neatly folded linens inside. "Whatever you need for sanitation is here. Now finish what you're going to do, I'm getting tired of this place."

Baby made a small urping noise as the bubble escaped her chest. She was understandably tired, and Elisa forced herself to speak quietly. The detective had no intention of hiding her anger, even if she couldn't be loud.

"She can't stay here with all these machines." Careful not to jostle her hatchling when she dismounted the counter, Elisa ripped a fresh napkin out of the open diaper drawer, stiff with impotent anger. "She's already cutting teeth, it's only a matter of time before she starts trying to explore," she explained with all the patient calm she could muster, but Thailog was unimpressed by her knowledge. Her cheeks burned at his total lack of interest. "She's just a baby, she could get hurt!"

"The hatchling will remain here," he replied impatiently, stepping out of her way when she leaned over to lay the infant down on the work space she'd been sitting on earlier. "Where she can be observed." He was getting annoyed with her concerns, a feeling that only got worse when she pounced on his words.

"Observed? By who?" He made no attempt at answering, but he didn't need to. "Sevarius," she breathed the answer out in disbelief.

"The doctor has volunteered to check her progress now and then," he offered with a low rumble of displeasure.

She turned her back to the prone baby, who tried to grip the loosely unfolded diaper. "No," she barked, advancing on him with unwarranted authority. "I don't want that man anywhere near her! If you let him touch a hair on her head-"

Thailog's attack was so swift, Elisa's brain barely registered the motion until it was done. At first, there was no pain, only the immensity of the driving pressure that forced her to her knees. Down seemed the only logical place to be for the moment, and the tile under her hands was welcomingly cool, it even felt good against her forehead. Some of her hair slipped out of place and down to her neck. Then there was pain. The pain of everything important and vital in her abdomen being abruptly crushed and having to slowly expand again. He had pulled his punch, she realized as she fought the urge of her gag reflex to purge the contents of her stomach. He must have because she hadn't heard anything snap. She couldn't help sneering mentally at his concept of self control. She coughed violently, trying to regain the ability of breathing, but she did win the battle with her stomach.

Immobilized and choking, she knew he was moving. She heard the baby's squall over her own hard gasps, and knew he carried her to the other end of the room. She struggled to draw breath, and tried to rise at the sound of machinery, but was too dizzy yet to stand. The baby cry was silenced all at once, making her heart leap in her chest. The tease of adrenaline in her weakened system allowed her to overcome long enough to see that the baby wasn't hurt. Thailog had shut her in one of the clone's maturation chambers, but she was fine.

Thailog returned to stand beside her, but remained a few feet away with his nose wrinkled in an expression of disgust. "The child is under your care, not your control, " he said scathingly. "Get up. You're going back to your room."

Elisa didn't flinch at his talons when he hauled her to her feet or when he marched her out of the laboratory. The trek back seemed longer, and Elisa wasn't sure if they used the same route to leave as they had to arrive. She had missed a lot of the detail of the trip earlier, and was determined to pay better attention now. The problem was that Thailog's long and indelicate strides were jostling her still aching midsection. To divert him from his labored pace, Elisa decided to make a stab at conversation. She found enough breath to give voice to her questions as they crossed the large room she'd seen before and approached the elevator.

"Tell me about the baby, where did she come from?"

At first, she wasn't sure he'd heard, or maybe he didn't intent to answer. She was about to repeat her request, when he grunted out a relatively simple explanation. "She came from Delilah's egg." He didn't look her way when he entered the numbered code to open the elevator, and wasn't aware she'd observed his key strokes.

Fully expecting a test-tube-baby explanation, the detective was unable to mask her surprise. "Delilah? But, that's impossible. She hasn't been alive long enough to-" Elisa halted in the face of Thailog's smug expression, reflected back at her in the gloss of the closing elevator door. "Un-unless,-"

"Unless she was created before the others? Yes, very good detective. Delilah is a bit older than her brothers. As you know, by the time we saw each other in Paris, I was already grown bored with Demona. When we left, she talked about you incessantly, your being consistently in her path to victory, your tenacity in cheating death. She also accused you of stealing Goliath away from her, although knowing her as well as I do, it's easier to believe she drove him off."

"Attempted murder can have that effect on people." Thailog laughed heartily at her wry rejoinder, in a way that was a little too 'Mwa-ha-ha' for her taste. She tried to block out the sound, occupying herself instead with the matter of where on his person he kept the key to her room.

"It does, doesn't it? Ha, well anyway, it never occurred to me that the two of you might be romantically involved until she said she suspected it herself. Even now that I know it's true, I have a hard time making sense of it. You have such a sparkling sense of humor, where Goliath seems to take everything seriously." He actually smiled at her, guiding her easily into the suite and letting the door slide shut behind them. All at once the room was too crowded.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.

"You're going to tell me he does have a sense of humor?"

"He does. And we're not romantically involved."

"Really?" He smiled broadly, stepping up to take hold of her upper arm. Elisa retreated, but there was nowhere to go, he wasn't going to release her. His other hand came up to bury his talons in her hair, to keep her still, she thought while fighting down her alarm. "Then, he's never kissed you like I have?"

She didn't get the chance to respond; he was already kissing her hungrily. Unprepared, Elisa fell into the same terror of the first kiss he had imposed on her, the mental shock that he didn't feel right, that this wasn't Goliath she was dealing with. Goliath. The idea of him not only gave her the boon of rational thought, but also chased away Thailog's affect on her nerves. This had to happen; she had to let this happen for now, else it would end the way it had last time, with her being knocked out. And there was some one down in the laboratory depending on her now.

When she didn't fight, his hands sought to hold her with more care, coming to rest high on her ribcage for the difference in their height. His long fingers were nearly able to encompass her body, his thumbs meeting each other in the narrow valley of her breasts. Pointed teeth grazed her soft lips as he caressed her tongue with his. Mollified by her inviting behavior, he opened his eyes ever so slightly, that he might see a sensual expression on her lovely face.

She stared straight back, unblinking and unmoved by his ardor. Her rich brown eyes had never closed for him. Thailog broke away in disappointment, she was not even touching him except where he had leaned into her. A rejection then. But she had let him, so perhaps this wasn't so bad for a first day. "Good night, Elisa," he said trying to mimic his father's tender tone.

Thailog paused before he left her, taking hold of the lock of hair that had fallen in the lab. He stared at her with a measured look of contentment before she felt creeped out enough to stop him. She leaned away, pulling the curl of hair out of his reach. Touching her hair was something Goliath did on occasion, and while she'd never given it much thought, she didn't like this familiarity from Thailog. She didn't want him to touch her at all, but the thought of his ruthless hands where Goliath's reverent ones had been was unsettling.

He left a moment later, locking the door audibly behind him. Left with much to think over, Elisa was more than ready to be alone again. Her goal for the night had been met; she had been fed, and now her body demanded its' rest.

*****

Elisa's sleep was fitful at best and she found herself wide awake by midmorning, feeling tired despite her early bed time the previous night. She had been too uncomfortable to get any real rest; her abdominal muscles were pretty sore and aggravated with every movement. The bed clothes smelled funny too, though that was the least of her problems.

Her first waking thought had been for the baby, whose cries had plagued the murky dreams of her unbalanced sleep cycle. She wondered whether the baby had had enough to eat, when Sevarius would come to prod her like a science experiment, and what she looked like when she slept. Her baby, Elisa reminded herself, and she needed a name. But what to call her….

Detective Maza had never given too much thought to babies in general, let alone what she might name her own possible progeny. Some people, like her mother, thought that was odd for a woman, but the fact of the matter was that Elisa's mind was typically occupied by other things. In her youth, she had been intensely focused on her education and her time in the academy. After that, there had been cases to puzzle over, squad room drama, the ever present plague of Tony Dracon, and then Gargoyles. She hadn't ever lived a life where there was idle time for her mind to contemplate baby names. So unlike many women, she had no short list in the back of her mind to work from.

Of course, this wasn't just her baby, she thought as she carefully rose from the bed. There was a whole family of gargoyles in Manhattan who would be thrilled to know her, and claim her as clan. Under different circumstances, they would probably discuss suitable names amongst themselves, and choose something acceptable to all.

But the clan they belonged to wasn't here, she told herself firmly. She was on her own for now, and as her self appointed keeper, Thailog would probably ask her what name she had decided on. Thinking back on the previous night and the particular weight of the hatchling in her arms, Elisa felt adverse to the idea of giving Thailog the baby's name. He had already said that whatever she chose would be subject to his approval, so if he decided on something awful, and made her use it, then it was totally possible her pretty baby would get stuck with an ugly name like "Dorcas". But that was silly. He'd probably pick something nice and ruin her name just by being associated with it!

So then maybe baby naming could wait. The best way to keep Thailog's ugly mug out of what was clearly a clan affair, was to not decide anything. It pleased the detective to think of her second family for a moment, imagining how exciting it would be for them to name one of their own. Yes, that was her decision then, to actively decide on nothing. If she just had to call the baby something, Elisa could make do with pet names for the time being.

Feeling better for having one thing settled, Elisa set her mind to compiling a short list of things to keep herself busy during the day. She would check the room more thoroughly, for possibilities of escape, or anything that might prove useful later. It would also be a good idea to take an inventory of the room and acquaint herself with all she had been given. Her stomach muscles protested, but the persistent detective turned out every drawer and overturned every piece of furniture she could lift.

By the afternoon, she had come up with nothing that would make as good a weapon as the gold-backed hair brush at the vanity, but she hadn't come up with anything intrusive either. She had expected to find a hidden camera some place, and wasn't sure how to feel about coming up empty handed in her search. Not finding one only meant that it hadn't been found, not that there weren't any. "A good detective trusts no one," Elisa whispered.

Keeping her father's warning advice in mind, she decided to prepare for the evening a little early. Clearly, the first thing to do was get out of yesterday's dress, and have a bath while she wouldn't be interrupted. She was going through the wardrobe when the hatchling dominated her thoughts once again. The cantaloupe colored dress that shifted her mindset wasn't altogether remarkable, except that the small pearly beads on the front had caught her eye.

Pearl? It was a little old-fashioned as names went, but still pretty in it's way. Of course it might be a little weird to name a darkly colored gargoyle after a white stone. Sapphire was too long, and somehow too dramatic. Amethyst? No, it didn't sound as good as Pearl and they would just end up calling her Amy. Maybe naming a gargoyle after a rock was going too far. What about flowers?

_What __**about**__ flowers? _She questioned herself caustically. _What do __**you**__ know about flowers?_ Not much, she had to admit.

Elisa collected the peachy dress and appropriate undergarments on her way to the bathroom and looked more closely at the soap selection. Lilac, that was a flower; it was even purple. At least, the soap bar was purple. Although, it smelled funny, and wouldn't make a good baby name. Rosemary? It wasn't a flower, but it was a nice old-world kind of name. The detective picked up a towel and continued this line of thought as she drew her bathwater. Rose, Daisy, …. Orchid?

No. This was important! It had to be something good, it had to mean something, not just point out her skin tone! Elisa sank slowly into the hot water, feeling the temperature burn her blackening bruises. It would be easier if she could just pick something biblical as Princess Catherine had done. Unfortunately, with sixteen female hatchlings to name, Catherine had probably tapped that source out.

_Jezebel is probably still free_, Elisa though morosely trying to unclench her abs. What about something literary? Goliath would appreciate something like that; some heroine of classic literature. Probing her memory for books he might have read, she set about carefully washing.

Juliet was pretty, if ill fated. Elizabeth would have been alright, except that it was too close to her own name. Had Jo been short for Joanne, or Josephine? Elisa thought for a moment and then decided it didn't matter, she didn't like either one. Anne was nice, but unoriginal. Scarlet O'Hara had been a strong female character; even if she had also been a raving bitch- Oh, this was not going well! How did anyone come up with names for **multiple** children?

_Probably because other people in this position have family and friends coming up with ideas for them, where I got stuck with an enemy_, she thought irritably reaching for her towel. Well, there was time to come up with something that fit.

Other things required effort for the moment. Like hair. But her troublesome tresses of the previous night were gone with the clinging dress she had shed. Armed with extra time, a little more patience, and the lack of a leering audience, Elisa managed an up-do that might have been misinterpreted as elegant. The detective's victory was short lived however, when she focused on her overall appearance.

With her hair dressed atypically away from her face, the myriad of slow healing bruises had no shadows to hide them. It was as if a different person stared back at her from inside the mirror, because it couldn't be her. The woman looking back looked like a victim, a woman she'd seen over and over until the hardened detective had stopped looking for her. There were hundreds of women and girls with bruised faces; bruises just like these, a few days old, yellowing around the edges. Elisa softly touched her own cheekbone. The plum colored blood beneath her skin was still vibrant, though the swelling under her left eye had reduced to be almost indiscernible. At least the three wide ligature marks around her neck were being slowly reclaimed by an olive complexion. Still, the difference was shocking, or would be to some one else, Elisa thought briefly, wondering what Goliath would have to say about all this. It was disturbing to her, and it was her own face!

All at once, she was plagued by the image of Thailog, his face, his smug smile, and his laughter! At one time she'd harbored some sympathy for him, but those feelings were long gone, and had been since the discovery of Delilah. After abducting her from her home, locking her away without food, and then taunting her with it, on top of physically punishing her; he'd reduced her to the status of a battered wife! He probably took pride in what he'd done. She wished he didn't exist, that he could just drop off the face of the earth. Raging black eyes looked daggers at the reflective woman who glowered back. She might not be capable of erasing Thailog himself, at least not yet, but he had provided a stash of cosmetics for her to pretty herself up. With that she might be able to do something to erase the damage he'd inflicted thus far. She might not be able to escape him, but she would not be weak where he could have the satisfaction of seeing it. She would stand tall, make her clan and family proud.

And more importantly, the baby downstairs would never see her this way again.


	5. Complication

In his dreams, Elisa was dead. Or something very close to it. Dull eyed and unresponsive, she lay prone under Thailog, who rutted into her soft body, leering and laughing. Goliath shut all these thoughts away during his waking hours, refusing to entertain such ugly imagery. But despite this determination, escaping his nightmares altogether had proved impossible for the simple reason that he had to sleep. The night passed all too quickly and the sun would rear it's ugly head, locking him in his own mind, and leaving him at the mercy of his own fears. Each time the sun went down since her abduction, the hearty bellowing that usually accompanied his awakening had been replaced with a terrified cry, a change which hadn't gone unnoticed by those around him.

Worried though they might be, his clan knew better than to blatantly hover, which Goliath appreciated, but they refused to let him go any place alone. Too troubled by his restless dreams to fight their good intentions, Goliath feigned ignorance when met by Hudson's understanding silences, and Brooklyn's unobtrusive shadowing, or one of the others dogging his foot steps throughout the castle.

Angela produced the most effective method of soundless communication: a single look that was neither a stare, nor a glare, but a gaze of piercing clarity which expressed her thoughts on any matter as clearly as if she had spoken. She had picked up this dangerous new ability from watching Elisa, he was sure, and as much as it irritated him now, there could be no better role model for his daughter to emulate. So when he made the mention of going to the labyrinth this evening, he was almost instantly aware that his daughter would be joining him. They were approaching the end of the subway tunnel when Goliath felt the need to give her some direction.

"Talon will probably be angry with me. If that happens, I want you to say nothing. Whatever he may say, do nothing to draw his attention." He turned away to knock at the great steel door, but was stopped by the gentle hand on his bicep.

"Why? What do you think will happen?"

He frowned, not wanting to relate all his dealings with the Maza-turned-mutate. "We have not always been on the best of terms," he said simply. "I do not expect Talon to take this news well."

"What do you mean he TOOK her? He's supposed to be dead!" The black furred mutate slammed a fist down on the tiled counter in angry emphasis, miniature arches of electricity dancing along his knuckles. Talon's outburst and menacing show of teeth made Angela start. Used to the other Mazas, who rarely raised their voices in her presence, she was much less prepared for a snarling panther than her father. Goliath, by contrast, was standing firm, poised for the hot headed reaction.

Talon paced a tight circle while Maggie watched her frustrated mate worriedly. "When?"

"Four nights ago." Goliath's reply was gentle against the mutate's hostility. Angela thought he probably tried to hide the slight note of sadness in his deep voice, but it had a better effect on Elisa's brother than she would have expected. Derek Maza replaced Talon notably, and while he was still the same man and still understandably upset, the gargoyle's understated emotion seemed to sooth him, and he spoke in slightly softer tones.

"Four days? Why am I just now hearing about this? She's been gone for almost a week!"

"Goliath sent Bluestone to tell you the next night," Angela supplied, thinking her father might use the moment to better compose himself.

"Well he never showed," Talon snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yes, he told me he hadn't come," Goliath explained. "And I apologize for not coming to you sooner myself. We have all been trying to find her and track down Thailog. I'm sure he was simply busy with his part of the investigation."

"He probably just didn't want to come down here and face me like a man."

Goliath blinked at the oddity of such a perception and inquired out of curiosity, "Has he some reason not to?"

"He thinks Elisa's partner has been keeping her away," Maggie supplied. Her inflection implied she had a different opinion on the matter, but she did not voice it.

"Ever since we've settled down here, she comes by less and less," Talon pronounced testily. "When I call, she says she's out with Bluestone on one case or another and can't talk."

The two violet gargoyles exchanged a look between them, wondering what sort of drama they had stumbled upon here. "It's true they've been busy of late," Goliath said warily. "The city has been tense since the attack on the clock tower and the discovery of our kind."

"It's more than that," the mutate insisted, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture and turning to pace again. "When she does come, he tags along uninvited. And then he won't leave her alone. Looking at Elisa like a piece of meat, and then giving me this look like _**I**_ can't be trusted!" Talon's eyes lit briefly and then something new occurred to him, making him turn to face the perplexed gargoyles. "Hey, do you think he could be some how involved in her disappearance? Those FBI guys have a lot of connections."

"I'm sure that's not the case," Goliath said firmly, trying to bring some sense back to the conversation. How like Elisa's brother to jump to the wrong conclusions without first having all the facts. It was obvious to Goliath that Elisa's actions meant she was distancing herself from her brother, but rather than believe that, Talon assumed there was some outside evil set against him personally.

The gargoyle had noticed his friend's studious avoidance himself, and had questioned her about it one night when she came to have dinner with them, shortly before their trip to Avalon. He had taken her outside when the meal was over, and broached the subject when they were alone.

"It's not the same anymore," she had said. "I just can't believe he thought I would hurt him, that I would let anyone hurt him. I fought so hard to keep him away from Xanatos, to show him the truth, and he wouldn't listen to anything I said."

"Xanatos knows how to fool people," he said attempting to defend Derek. "You and I both know that."

Elisa just shook her head. "You don't understand. I'm the one person he should have trusted no matter what." She went on to tell him something of her childhood, and as it turned out, Elisa had had more to do with raising Derek than Goliath would have supposed. With two parents working full time, their father rarely home in the early years of his career, and Beth in her infancy, it was Elisa's job as the elder sister to make certain her brother finished his homework and chores. She had prepared his lunches and gotten him ready for school, done many of the things for him that her mother had done for her, and Goliath began to understand that Elisa had been connected to her brother in a way she was connected with no one else. When Derek had allowed Xanatos to come between them, he had betrayed that connection.

Elisa would always love her brother, would always be there when he needed her, but she did not see a way to undo the damage that had been wrought. And Derek apparently remained ignorant of the hurt he had caused his sister.

As for Bluestone's appearances in the Labyrinth, Goliath thought it much more likely he had come at Elisa's request. They certainly did not look at each other romantically. It was true they were close, even for partners, but they were friends, and shared many of the same secrets. Beyond that, Bluestone had no living family, and with Elisa feeling the loss of her brother, it was not surprising they got along so well. Likely Talon was just jealous that the sisterly affection he had so lately spurned had been bestowed on another. Of course, as long as he was willing to broadcast his negative judgments about her friends, Elisa's brother was hardly encouraging her confidence. It looked as if their relationship would remain stilted for some while.

Glancing his daughter's way, the clan leader was surprised to find her expression unexpectedly darkened. Had Talon upset her in some way? Better move on to the other reason for their visit. "We thought the clones might be able to aide in our search."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Maggie spoke up, looking nervous. "Sending them out to look for Thailog could be dangerous."

"They won't be searching the city," Goliath reassured, admiring the female mutate for her concern for the clones. It was clear they were in good hands with her. "I doubt he is still here in Manhattan."

"You're sure it's Thailog? I mean, he's really alive?"

"Hudson said they could smell him in almost every room," Angela answered Talon with prompt nod.

His mate was more immediately concerned for her charges, "I'm not sure I understand. What is it you think they can help you with?"

"We need to find out where Thailog might have taken Elisa, and thought perhaps the clones might have lived some place we know nothing about. They had to learn how to glide somewhere beyond our patrols, so they may be able to describe a few landmarks that would be helpful to us. We need not tell them about Thailog, if you prefer," Goliath offered to the still fidgeting Maggie, hoping to put her at ease.

"Maybe that's best," she said with a half smile. "But what will you tell them?"

"We can say we need something from his lab," Angela suggested. "Some thing to make sure they stay healthy?"

"You might get better participation from the boys if you say it's for Dee," Talon put in using their pet name for Delilah.

"He's right," Maggie agreed. "The others protect her. We think it might have been part of their programming."

"Then we will speak to the clones and Delilah separately," Goliath said decidedly. "And perhaps we can use a similar story with her."

"Alright, I'll go get them," Maggie announced with more assurance.

When she had gone, Talon offered a kitchen chair to each of his guests. "I'm not sure this is going to work," He said without preamble. "I mean I hope it does, but their speech is still pretty shaky, y'know? It might be a little hard to make out what they mean."

Rather than feed Talon's pessimism, Goliath tried to focus the conversation standing tall when Angela took a seat. "Are they having trouble learning?"

"Well no, but verbs weren't the only trouble. After we brought them here, we realized that they didn't have much in the way of social skills either. The first week was tough, I mean they fought over everything; pieces of food, where they should sit, every game ended in a brawl, it was a nightmare! Finally they broke something, and wore through Maggie's patience I guess, 'cause she yelled and zapped the big one."

That took both gargoyles by surprise. "Then what happened?" Angels pressed.

"That took care of the whole problem. See, Thailog taught them to obey, or else. So those days of us calmly explaining the golden rule and how hitting people is bad, didn't mean anything without us backing it up. Anyway, the education train took a little detour through right and wrong, and we're only just getting back to grammar." He would have said more, but was interrupted by the nervous shuffling of several taloned feet.

Four familiar faces appeared in the open doorway, all wearing apprehensive expressions. Goliath did his best to give the clones a welcoming smile, though his daughter succeeded better than he did. In the end, it was Maggie's gentle pushing that got them inside.

"Goliath and Angela came all the way here just to see you," She said in a cheery way that was not shared by anyone else in the room. "Go ahead, say hello."

The clones stared at the leader of the gargoyle clan even when they had been settled in the mismatched kitchen chairs, a problem he had hoped they would overcome. Feeling the loss of Elisa as acutely as he did, the sight of these creatures made him angry. Not at them, but at the gargoyle they represented, that fiendish imposter who had dared to steal something so precious from a clan who had done him no wrong. Feeling the flames of vengeful fury blacken his mood anew, he took the opportunity to try out Angela's new ability for himself, delivering a hard and piercing look to the young female. She sputtered at first, but recovered, and did as he had silently bid.

"Um- yes. Yes, we did come to see you. Uh, we wanted to talk to you about Delilah." There was a brief exchange of glances between the clones. Malibu looked the most alarmed, which became more evident when he spoke.

"Delilah not do it! We together, she not there!"

"Whoa, whoa," Talon waved a hand at him trying to forestall what was apparently a story in the making. "Don't worry, Mal, Dee's not in trouble." Brooklyn's clone appeared disbelieving, throwing a nervous look in Goliath's direction. "Look, whatever you broke, it's okay. Goliath and Angela just want to talk with you, so all I need you to do is pay attention. Can you do that for me?" Elisa's brother offered the distressed clone a closed fist, to which Malibu meekly offered his own, tapping his knuckles with Talon's. "Alright, go ahead Angela, we're all ears."

"Well, Delilah is part human. Did you know that?"

Burbank frowned in thought. "Like Maggie," he asked pointing.

"Right!" Angela smiled softly, easing the tense male clones. "So gargoyles like us, don't get sick, but humans can." The clones followed this logic with ease Goliath had not honestly expected. Perhaps they had seen more of human suffering from the humans living in the Labyrinth than he knew. Seeing their understanding, Angela continued. "That's why we're worried about Delilah, and we thought you guys might be able to help. We think Thailog might have had a plan, in case she got sick, and we need to know what it is."

"Master?" Hollywood intoned confusedly.

"Master is dead!" Malibu insisted with some of his previous panic.

Observing, Goliath saw his daughter's expression change ever so slightly in a look that reminded him at once of her mother and of Elisa. Better at reading people than he had supposed, Angela had caught on to something important, something he had missed. He was still wondering precisely what, when she picked up again as though nothing had crossed her mind in the first place.

"Yes, but we want to find his lab. You now, the place you lived before you came here? We think your old master might have had something to keep Dee from getting sick. If you could tell us what it looked like, we might be able to find it." They were silent for a few moments, and all appeared to be thinking, Malibu more nervously.

"Was trees," Hollywood said shyly.

"Trees!" the others agreed unanimously.

"And rocks," Burbank added with surety. Again, the group agreed.

"Trees? Like a forest?" Maggie wondered.

"On a hill." Malibu said, and from there, the group compiled some useful details.

The clones had lived in a big place on a tall hill, or perhaps a small mountain. The trees were tall, pointy, and numerous. Most importantly, according to the clones, there were no humans. Only Sevarius had ever seen them. They knew of a settlement nearby, but Thailog had ordered them to stay well away from it when gliding. When asked about the town, they could say little. It was small, the buildings were short, and there were few cars.

It didn't sound like any place around Manhattan, and Goliath was forced to conclude that if Thailog had taken Elisa there, she was definitely out of the range of their searches. They would have to pinpoint Thailog's location if they had any hope of getting her back, which meant relying more heavily upon Bluestone and Lexington's abilities at gathering information.

The warrior within him did not like the sound of that. Deciphering clues and piecing together different possibilities would take time, and every waking minute Goliath spent trying to divine the place Elisa had been hidden, was one more minute Thailog had alone with her; each night another opportunity to bend her to his will. And there was no doubt of what he intended to do with that time. Goliath held no illusions that Elisa was merely a hostage, or that she was simply being used for genetic material so that he could father further corruptible cloning experiments. As Brooklyn had said, Thailog was short one Delilah.

He was thankful none of the other members of his clan had witnessed Thailog's reaction to Elisa, the night they had first learned of his existence and he had set his gaze upon her. Even in his broken recovery from the gas he'd inhaled, Goliath had not been blind to the looks his human companion had garnered that night. He had done his best to distract the rampant clone then, done a better job in Paris, where there had been a good excuse to send her away, but his efforts had come to naught.

Elisa was soft and delicate, loving her would require restraint. Was Thailog capable of, or even willing to make the attempt at being gentle with her? Goliath could only hope so for Elisa's sake. He couldn't bear to think of her alone and defenseless, frightened for her life, her body, and her virtue. And yet he must consider these things, for even in the best case scenario, there was bound to be some fallout.

It was more than probable she would refuse his suit now, whatever her intentions might have been when they were supposed to have met. Goliath chided himself for thinking so selfishly, but he could not help the sadness that swept through him at the thought that he could loose her through no fault of his own. He could expect no less of her, being a female of good sense and understanding, it would only be good judgment and self preservation that would demand she stay away from him now. What human in their right mind would give themselves over to a gargoyle having once been wounded by one?

And if she'd been hurt more than once? Wounded in a way that would not heal? Guilt surged in his soul like blood that seeped from a wound. She would undoubtedly suffer at the hands of the world's most malignant gargoyle! The longer she remained with Thailog…

He would still love her. He knew that. Whatever transpired, however it changed Elisa, if she couldn't bear the sight of him, his love for her would be constant. And he would be content with whatever of herself she was still willing to give.

Eventually, it came time to confront Delilah, and though they were assured she was above her brothers in intelligence, Goliath did not expect this interview to go much differently than the first. But being wrong in this was only the beginning.

"We'd like to ask you about where you used to live," Angela began by way of conversation. "Can you tell us about it?"

Delilah bit her bottom lip, looking instantly guilty. "Not want to," she said finally.

"Not want to?" The young gargoyle repeated in some surprise and glanced at her father's quizzical expression. "Don't you remember where you lived?" The clone shrugged, fidgeted, and looked pleadingly at Maggie and Talon.

"Delilah," Maggie's voice was coaxing; she stood close to touch the gargoyle's shoulder. "Tell them where you were with Thailog."

From his place beside Angela, Goliath could see the clone's eyes suddenly water. Her wing struts trembled with nerves when she answered insistently, "Master is dead!"

**She knew! **She **knew **he was not dead! The only question that remained was **how** did she know? Goliath's eye's flashed a brilliant white before he could reign in his emotions and say, ever so softly, "Leave us."

All eyes fixed instantly on him. Talon looked like he wanted to protest, but his mate collected herself more quickly than he. "We'll wait outside," she told the frightened clone. Delilah shook her head frantically, tears spilling over her cheeks, grasping at Maggie's hand.

It bothered Goliath to see the female in distress, distress that was certainly caused by his own presence, but it had to be done. Delilah clearly knew something, and they needed every clue they could unearth if they were to find Elisa before - well, before anything else happened to her. If there was anything the clone might want to hold back from her loved ones, then he would help guard her secrets. Angela remained, understanding that she had not been dismissed as Delilah's guardians had.

Goliath pulled up a chair, facing the clone and sitting on the same side of the table. "Delilah, you need not be afraid of me." She quivered anyhow, starring hard at her lap. "I know Thailog is alive," he said gently, hoping to relieve her of her worst secret. To his amazement, the clone cried harder, sobbing and throwing herself into his lap.

"Forgiven-ness," she choked into his chest. "Please, Delilah is good! Not go with the master, Delilah never go!"

"It's alright," Goliath managed, unspeakably uncomfortable with a female against him sounding so much like his Elisa, he collected her by the shoulders, holding her back from him. "You've done nothing wrong, but you must tell us about Thailog."

Delilah sniffled, hesitating as the lavender gargoyle slowly let go of her as though he were trying to make sure she stayed upright in her chair. "M-master is a- a bad man," She stated cautiously, as though she were testing them.

"Yes," came the simple, rumbling response.

The clone wiped at her tears and swallowed. "Maggie says Master was bad to Delilah, says he not love her. Me." Goliath and Angela both were inclined to agree, but staid their tongues to listen. "Maggie says Delilah and Mas-" she bit down on the word, remembered something rather transparently, and corrected herself. "Thailog, did wrong together. But Delilah is good," She assured them again. "Thailog say come back home, but Delilah not want to be bad, not leave brothers. Say, please, but-" She stopped, looking down, and hugged herself with one arm.

"Go on," Goliath urged, wanting to know how Thailog had contacted her in the first place.

"What did Malibu say?" Angela suddenly asked, surprising her leader.

The clone reacted immediately, grimacing and bowing her head into one hand. "Mal. Thailog say stupid, like not understand, but understand." She said firmly. "Say he make Delilah come. Mal, uh, jump out, but Thailog is Master. Hurt Mal."

"And then?" Goliath prompted, finding it nearly incredible that Thailog had come to the Labyrinth without anyone the wiser.

The clone studied her own talons, searching for words she did not yet know. Wearing traces of the indignation she had felt in her past predicament upon her brow, Delilah looked up to Goliath's face. She reached put to his face like she intended to touch his temple, but stopped short by several inches. Her hand made the motion of raking her claws across his face, shocking her interviewers in spite of her slowness of movement.

"Delilah not go with Thailog," she said with a note of promise. "Never."

Bronx was worried, and for a very good reason: everyone else was worried too. All the clan smelled much more sharply of anxiety and doubt, even the tall human visitor who smelled like the city. He was coming by every night now, but Elisa had not come in a long time. For several nights now, Bronx had been listening for the doors that went 'bing', and raced to the big room as fast as four legs could get him there. Usually, the doors that went 'bing' would open and Elisa would be there to pet him, give him a kind word, a quick scratch, or even a meaty treat. But now only her tall and pasty associate appeared, and he did none of those things.

Elisa was missing. That was the only idea that made sense. Elisa was clan, and clan members who loved you didn't just run away. Something had happened to her, and it put the master in a fine fit. At first, they had all oddly done nothing, just stayed home in the castle. It was a strange week; no patrols, no hunting, and no visitors. Then the others began to say her name a lot, though more quietly around the master.

Their leader was a good master, and Bronx loved him, but when Elisa had stopped coming, he became moody and distracted. He did not want to play, or give anyone a good scratch. And when at last he had gone to look for Elisa, he had come home with a cat!

Said cat was also in a fine fit; a nervy, angry creature, that would have been food without the clan's protection. Bronx could scarcely enter into the same room without having to hear its' disapproving yowl. Yet despite its' attitude problem, the gargoyle beast was forced to conclude that the cat was basically a good little vermin. It took some time to see it, but Bronx knew the importance of observation.

The cat did bear some affection for the rest of the clan, accepting their attention gracefully and eating what he was given not only without complaint, but with muted gratitude. More than that, the cat walked always in the master's shadow, seeming to share in his emotional affliction. (Which just went to show that wherever there was misery, one could always find a cat.) The master tolerated its' presence admirably, even sometimes allowing it to ride on his big shoulders.

What really got to Bronx though, was something the cat did not do. He had stopped grooming. The cat still washed his face and licked its' paws, of course, there was nothing that could keep a cat from licking itself, but the length of his spine went untouched. The curious beast was forced to investigate, and an olfactory study of the cats' napping place revealed why.

The cat was wearing Elisa's scent. It was faint after a few day's age, but still there, which proved something important to Bronx. Elisa was the cat's mistress, and he missed her; perhaps he even loved her the way Bronx loved his clan. Apparently even a cat could have some good points. The little pest would be tolerated then, so long as he was good to the clan.

Cagney made himself comfortable in the big cat's favored library chair, his head pillowed on folded paws, reflecting on the fate of his pet. His tale twitched in agitation even as he tried to relax. Would he ever live down the shame of allowing Elisa to be stolen by an inexpert hunter? Doubtful.

His poor pet, who possessed a nearly useless olfactory organ, and extremely poor night vision, had not even known the danger she was in until it was too late. Even Cagney himself had almost been fooled by the scent of the one who had come, so close to the one called "Goliath" that they had to be littermates, but the sound of its' ungraceful footsteps did not lie. If only he had known that the stranger ought not to be trusted! Then he might have - well, he might have - he wasn't sure really, what else he could have done.

He'd never had reason to be suspicious of any of these mostly-cat creatures before. They usually had such good manners. The big cat, for example, always made himself known when he visited and offered a respectfully attentive greeting; as well he should when he entered Cagney's domain to socialize with his pet!

So, he had rightly expected the same behavior of the stranger, and been attacked! Luckily the newcomer had been a complete buffoon in his stalking techniques, or Cagney would never have evaded him. Even with his own greater abilities, it had been a narrow escape. His opponent was every bit as big and just as powerful as Cagney imagined Goliath might be in a fight, though he had clearly lacked much practice. The clumsy beast had crashed into walls with ill measured speed, and wasted poorly timed claw swipes on the furniture, but the collateral damage he caused had made him dangerous by default. The proud housecat had been forced to go to ground, forced to listen in silence while the stranger easily cornered his precious pet like common vermin!

It was hard not to feel guilty about that; so much so that Cagney had not succeeded in his attempt. Elisa was a good pet, much better than his first, and did not deserve to be abandoned. She did not have to be reminded of when he liked to eat, she always left room for him on the bed, she introduced him to their visitors so they would know whose territory they were in; she was the perfect for him. Even if he could find another like her, he didn't want to. He would rather stay here with the mostly-cat people who were his last link to her.

Goliath spent his time away from the castle looking for her, Cagney knew. When the big cat returned in the wee hours of the morning, he wore the same smells Elisa used to come home with on her clothes. This was a small comfort to him, knowing that his pet was well liked and appreciated by others. If his own suspicions about Goliath were correct, and he'd had the thought of breeding Elisa, then he must be missing her almost as much as Cagney himself.

He was actually very proud of his pet for attracting a mate of such superior breeding. Elisa had many good qualities, her feline guardian would be the first to admit, but that didn't explain the obvious regard she inspired in this particular suitor. After all, Goliath was a finely formed fighting cat, who moved like a highly experienced hunter. And if that were not enough to impress even the most finicky female, then the dazzling length of his claws would certainly win him whomever he wished. (Wasn't it common sense in any species to breed with the male who could boast the finest claws?) Strange as it was, it appeared that Elisa was the female he wanted, and while Cagney had faith enough in his pet's good sense that she would make the right decision, it wouldn't matter much if Elisa could not be recovered.

That thought made the gray cat a little sadder, and more impatient for the big cat to come home. Then at least he would not feel so alone. Cagney twisted to look over his shoulder to the fur on his back, catching the slight whiff of the marking scent his pet had left on the hairs. Could the big cat smell it too?

In the end, he decided a full scale grooming could wait one more day.


	6. Motivations

**So... Anyone reading Grimalkin21's 'Luna Lupus'? You should, it's a good fic. It made me smile!**

Dinner that night was just as tense as it had been the night before. Thailog seemed just as oblivious to his companion's discomfort as ever, but knowing to expect this, Elisa did better at keeping her disdain to herself.

Being ravenously hungry helped a great deal, as she was still forced to depend upon his willingness to feed her. Her empty stomach was not enough to keep her completely distracted however. She would have had to be blind not to notice the way those deep crimson eyes devoured her every move, and there was no avoiding the disconcerting sensation of being mentally undressed by her dinner partner. Even so, Elisa was doing her level best to give all the disinterested, monosyllabic responses required to keep her mouth as full and occupied as possible. Overall, things went well, and remained so until they had finished the first course of the meal between them. Only as he fed her the last morsel of whitefish, did he require a more involved response.

"Sit with me," he instructed, indicating his lap. "I want to hold you."

Letting him touch her, was the absolute last thing the detective could want, and despite the more gentle note in his voice, she knew this was hardly a choice. Of course, that didn't make her any more inclined to give in, just because he wanted her to. Sensing that their encounter would go downhill from here no matter what she said, Elisa savored the flavor of her last bite, chewing slowly before she replied.

"No thank you."

"It wasn't a request." His tone was pointed and hard, but still reasonably calm.

"I don't want to sit with you," she tried again, maintaining her poise.

One brow ridge quirked speculatively. "This is something Goliath likes from you?"

"Uh, no," she hedged, flushing at the idea of being in Goliath's lap. It unnerved her that her captor should so suddenly inquire about the level of intimacy she and Goliath shared. She knew Thailog detested being compared to his gargoyle father, especially when it didn't flatter him, but did that feeling go so far that he resisted all Goliath-like behavior? "I told you, it's not like that."

"But you would do it," he accused darkly. "If he asked you to."

She licked her lips nervously, wondering what to say next. This was exactly the sort of dangerous territory she had been hoping to avoid. Denying the charge wouldn't do any good, since he'd only accused her of lying anyway.

_And it probably would be a lie_, she thought suddenly. In the week she'd spent avoiding him, she'd been trying to dismiss all her romantic ideas as silly, deciding that being alone as long as she had, naturally made her cling to the closeness of their friendship. She'd half come to the conclusion that that night on the tower, she had been acting out of emotions that weren't really love, and she'd only be cheating them both if she persisted. The trouble was that she was afraid she might really love Goliath, and even if she was wrong, there were a million things she'd rather do than hurt him. She'd been at a crossroads, but not anymore. As much as she missed him, and regretted their time apart, she might now take any excuse to let Goliath cuddle her. When this was over, she would pray for such an invitation.

"I- I trust him."

Thailog nodded slowly to himself, seeming to digest this information as he came out of his chair to stand by hers. "You trust him," he began, taking her hands in his and pulling her to her feet. "And not me." Elisa remained mute, finding she was afraid to repeat herself, but she swiftly had other things to think about when her kidnapper placed her hands on his shoulders, drawing her almost flush against him.

Since the abduction, he had been meeting her without the plate armor he had sported in Paris, so the fine silk tunic he favored was left open. Normally, this wasn't a detail that affected a woman whose closest friends wore substantially less, but it did bother her now. It was when he got this close, that the lack of a physical barrier between his skin and hers, even one as slight as a layer of fabric, seemed monumentally important. Without it, she could feel the heat of him, feel his heart beat, the rhythm of his breathing. She stared at her hands where he held them.

"But I trust you," he assured, using one hand to tip her chin up. Now they were looking at each other face to face, standing toe to toe. Thailog felt her tremble, and allowed himself a smile of confidence. She wanted him, that much was clear; as much or maybe more than his father.

It would be easy to overpower her here and now, to take for himself. But if she _wanted _to be his, if she submitted willingly, he knew Goliath would never touch her again. He was confident that it wouldn't take him long to sway her; humans were opportunists at heart, and weak to their own sexual desires. The detective would succumb in short order, and Thailog would succeed in stealing the pompous leader's precious Elisa, proving himself the dominant power over his gargoyle father as he had with the other two. Of the three of them, Goliath had been the most difficult to beat, but then the other two were only human.

Sevarius was almost less than nothing, a sniveling coward who had been easily intimidated and pressed into service. Ruled by money and eccentricities, he was really no more than a tool of Xanatos's. David Xanatos himself was the one Thailog gave most of the credit for his creation to, as they all did. But the billionaire had too much arrogance, too much conceit to stand a chance against him. Indeed, his vanity had made him lazy and stupid. It had been hardly any trouble to take as much money as he wanted, and go where he would without fear of retaliation.

What belonged to Goliath though, was something bigger than money, and less defined. He would probably call it 'love', or something equally absurd, but Thailog believed it was the loyalty of those around him that was the source of his power. Demona had showed him that much; that those he was close to would follow him anywhere, blindly, even if it meant certain demise. The human, Elisa Maza, was unmistakably the easiest target, if for no other reason than that she was alone and unprotected most of the time. Like Xanatos, Goliath had grown complacent in protecting what was so clearly most dear to him. Taking her had been as easy as picking fruit from a tree, and far more enjoyable. Elisa, though a tantalizing prize in her own right, was not as simple as money, and could not be possessed as such. And Thailog knew that to truly defeat Goliath, it was not enough to simply steal the detective away. She had to belong to him, the way she belonged to Goliath; she had to want to be his. To his mind, that would not be a difficult task. Had he not already attracted TWO mates to his side in his short life, where his father had now lost a second? He would win Elisa over, just as he had the other two. He just had to be persistent.

"I trust you to touch," he went on silkily, moving her hands slowly down his pectorals. "To caress," his gaze was intense, locking her eyes on his. Retaining her wrists, he guided her touch lower over hard abdominal muscles. Elisa felt the tiny hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. He leaned steadily forward, until their faces were almost touching. "You may even, explore," he all but whispered these last words as he lead her past his belt and lower to brush what hung behind his loincloth.

Revolted, the detective wrenched herself away, lashing out before she could stop herself. Her palm flashed against the side of his face, the loud slapping of skin echoing faintly around the dining room. It was a horrifically feminine and utterly useless attack that Elisa instantly regretted. As if an open hand would do anything to deter to him! If she had any sense, she would have poked him in the eye! But she had not, and was rewarded with a salacious smile full of sharp white teeth that made her shudder.

"I'd like to see the baby now," she declared, holding her expression in cold reproof.

"Very well," he laughed at her reaction. "We will continue this later." His promise came complete with a nauseatingly satisfied smile. He was still leering when his arm shot around her body, pulling her close as he lead the way to the lab.

"Perhaps I could give you a tour later tonight," he suggested while they waited at the elevator. "I try to make my home a place of beauty and comfort, but it could use a _woman's touch_." The detective continued to seethe silently as he chuckled at his own joke. Thailog's confidence in himself did not surprise the detective in the least, but there was no way in hell she would let anything like _that_ continue.

"In fact, I find your touch so pleasurable, I would like it to be everywhere at once."

Hoping to distract him from his solicitous remarks, Elisa grasped at a new topic when the elevator doors closed on them. "You never finished telling me how Delilah had an egg."

"Ah yes, a series of fortunate events," he gave her a charming smile. "Where was I?"

"Demona talked about me."

"Yes," his red eyes looked skyward in remembered irritation, "Endlessly. So, I pretended to sympathize whenever you came up. There's no arguing with her when she gets like that, you know."

It was Elisa's turn at eye rolling. "We don't really talk much," she admitted as the elevator dinged and opened.

Thailog laughed at her deadpan tone. "It does get hard once she starts firing at you." He paused considering the woman under his control as he lead her across the grand foyer. "She could never joke and laugh about things the way you do."

"From what I know about Demona, I gather she hasn't had much in her life to laugh about."

Her serious expression never faltered, but his became flat as he went on, opening the door to the utilitarian view of the metal stairs, and the steel paneled hall below. "Hmm, that's very sympathetic of you. Anyway, eventually she mentioned having been to your apartment. She gave me the address when I showed an interest, and in my free time, I went to see your place for myself.

"About that time, Dr. Sevarius returned to the area from overseas. He was grumbling about some failed experiment in Scotland. I believe you had a hand in that?"

"And you had just the sort of project that would cheer him up," Elisa concluded.

"Right again Detective. Living in Destine Manor, as I was, I had ample opportunity to collect the necessary DNA samples from Demona. Yours took a little more work, since you had been abroad for some time, but with the good doctor's trained eye we managed a sufficient sampling from your things."

Repulsed by the notion of Sevarius _**and**_ Thailog making free with her possessions, Elisa pressed on. "Okay, where does the hatchling come in to this?"

"I'm getting there. Delilah was still very young when I began to, ah, instruct her in her role as my companion."

The police woman's eyes narrowed at this last ambiguous statement. His 'companion'! Doubtless what he meant was, 'I was only too happy to play with my new toy.' Pig!

"I didn't realize at the time that she was still coming off the chemical enzyme the doctor uses to speed a clone's aging. We were both surprised when she caught in the first 72 hours."

Elisa's stomach rolled. She 'caught'? _**They**_ were surprised? What about Delilah and how she must have felt? He must have slept with her as soon as he could get her alone! That certainly explained a lot. The poor girl….

"So for the sake of her and the embryo, Anton put her back on the enzyme."

"Which reduced the duration of the pregnancy."

"Yes, but then I had an egg to deal with. So I brought up the idea of cloning to Demona."

"Wait," Elisa put up a hand when they came to a stop at the laboratory door, trying to ward off his implications. "You mean that whole thing, stealing our DNA, luring Goliath to that fun house, you did all that just to keep Demona in the dark?"

He laughed at her, a deep boom of real mirth. "Hardly. That would have been a lot of effort, even for me, just to win something I already had. You're thinking too small," he chided as if he were explaining to a child. "The plan to set the clones against Goliath was as much about the chance to eliminate him as testing Demona's loyalty. It also had the benefit of paying the good doctor in genetic material, and keeping Demona herself away from the laboratory proceedings. Keeping her 'in the dark', as you said. She wanted the opportunity to turn Angela to her side as well, and while I didn't see much probability in that, her enthusiasm went a long way in the convincing."

"You knew she wouldn't be able to let Angela go. You set her up to fail," Elisa charged, feeling unexpected pity for the blue gargoyle.

"I knew that while Angela remained in doubt, Demona's loyalty would always be questionable. We are on opposite sides, detective, and Demona is known for her shifting allegiances; she could never have us both."

"And if she had passed your test? How would you have explained the sudden appearance of a new egg, let alone a new female with my face?"

Thailog couldn't help smiling down at the human on his arm. Her avid interest fed his pride in his accomplishments better than anyone else ever had. Of course, no one else had ever asked; they had been cohorts, just wanting their share of the spoils his own good planning had gained them. Elisa was different. She had tried to match her reasoning with his own, testing her own hypotheses on him, trying to learn how he thought. She must admire him, even if she would not yet admit it, and it warmed him to think she would soon look on him as she did his father.

"I wouldn't. Delilah would have remained my own little secret, and once the egg hatched, I could have given the child to Demona as a gift, a replacement to the daughter she'd lost."

His explanation sparked another question in the detective's head. A discrepancy so obvious she couldn't believe she'd missed it before; the egg had hatched! "You said you kept Delilah on that aging enzyme while she was expecting, but how did it hatch so quickly after that? I mean, gargoyle eggs take years to hatch, don't they?"

"I'm sure they do," Thailog agreed with a disdainful look. "When you burry them in a dank cave on the cold coast of a frigid country! Basic biology shows that any egg needs certain requirements for proper incubation, namely heat! Really, it's a wonder they managed to hatch anything in Scotland at all. Thankfully," he continued smugly, "The modern gargoyle is not bound by the backwards practices of his ancestors. Once we established a constant temperature, the embryo's growth made more impressive progress."

"Enough to make it hatch in just a few weeks?" He watched her brow quirk skeptically. Such a powerful intellect she had! How could he have imagined he could duplicate her?

"No, but we were able to further improve the incubation time by keeping the egg submerged in a maturation chamber, as we did with the clones. That way we could continue the enzyme treatment through total gestation. You see, egg shells of any sort aren't as solid as they appear. They're actually-"

"Permeable membranes," Elisa interrupted. "I know."

She knew! He'd had to **explain** that part to Demona. This proved it beyond any attraction he felt, Elisa Maza was perfect for him. He suddenly had the desire to take her up in his arms, and show her the physical fire she inspired.

XXXXXX

She hated moments like these, fraught with petrifying sexual tension, when Thailog grew quiet enough that his thoughts resounded from his actions. It was as if she knew what he planned to do before he did it, and was granted a few seconds to dread the move he had not yet made. A byproduct, she supposed, of working with dishonest people, was that you learned how to read them, for better or for worse.

She was not surprised then, when he did lunge for her, but there was no way to brace herself against the force of his superior strength. Shoved roughly with her back to the wall, pinned to it by his body, Elisa clenched her jaw shut against the pain in her ribs.

Thailog rubbed himself on her like an oversized cat, nursing a course friction between them that was unsettlingly rhythmic. "When we make love, I want it to be like this," he purred into her neck.

Was he serious? Elisa thought he might be and tried hard to hope he was just messing with her. "That's not gonna happen," she growled, struggling to keep him at bay with her arms trapped between them. He ignored her efforts, leaning down to nuzzle her shoulder even as one hand sank to cup her backside. She had to find some way of breaking loose, and fast, before he got exactly what he wanted. She fought more feverishly to free herself until she felt the flash of hot pain from her shoulder.

The piercing bite made her gasp and freeze involuntarily, the effect lasted long enough for Thailog to straighten himself with a self-satisfied growl. "God, I want you," he whispered above her head, caressing her breast with barely a breath of space between them.

Elisa looked death at his Cheshire grin. She would not be handled like this! And she'd show him what happened to those who tried. Her arm shot straight up his chest, the heel of her palm connected below his chin, snapping his fanged jaws shut, and jamming his head up and back. Thailog was driven backward, but only by half a step, and was quick to recover. No sooner did Elisa gain relief for her aching mid-section, than the gargoyle struck back. Too fast and powerful to effectively block, Thailog's open hand slammed her back to the wall, putting pressure on every inch from just below her breasts, down to her abdomen, driving the breath from her lungs. The rush of her escaping breath also forced out the uncharacteristic cry of pain that surprised him enough to end the assault.

Talons that, until now, had only been unkind, gentled over her stomach. He frowned at it as if those red eyes could see the blackness of the bruises beneath her dress. Elisa stared at him, watching his face for the first sign that he would press his advantage, as she fully expected him to do.

Instead, he opened the door to the laboratory beside her. "Go." She hesitated a moment in disbelief, but she didn't have to be told twice. The detective collected herself quickly, scrambling through the open door.

**A little short, I know, but I don't like to post anything unpolished. Hope you liked it!**


	7. Attachment

As pleased as he had been with their time in the dining room, the rest of the evening quickly dissolved Thailog's good mood. After relinquishing Elisa to her care of the child, he had gone immediately to his office with the intention of working. It took some effort, but after several minutes, the allure of his investment portfolios succeeded in putting some distance between him and the events in the lower level hall.

But only some. Two floors below where he now sat, an unfamiliar feeling had struck him like the bite of a snake, a flash of realization followed by a slow moving and poisonous feeling that left him unexpectedly at odds with himself. The pressing need of his loins had still been there, and yet had suddenly seemed unimportant. In the place of passion, something arose which he could not name.

The emotions the detective had worn on her face were things he was accustomed to seeing on the faces of his enemies. Fear, anger, even determination were things he recognized, but from her, in the midst of touching her soft skin and hearing his blood rush to meet her, whatever it was smacked of failure. It had all but robbed him of speech, and he couldn't remember anything having done that before.

His confused contemplation of this new problem distracted him from his accounting, and in short order his eyes were being more often drawn to the security monitor sitting complacently on the far corner of the desk.

Observing her with the child over the top edges of financial documents, provoked two more emotions he was not accustomed to feeling. The first was guilt.

As he watched the object of his desires move about the locked laboratory, it became increasingly obvious that she was favoring her midsection. The hatchling was quite small, yet she seemed to be having difficulty lifting the child for more than a few moments. Instead, she padded down the counter and laid the child down there while she did her best to clean up after it. The detective watched the door all the while, clearly expecting him at any moment, which explained her undue haste in her routine of basic care and feeding. But when he did not come, and the hatchling had apparently eaten her fill, Elisa remained mostly sedentary, sitting with apparent discomfort in one of the two padded chairs present. Had she been moving so stiffly all evening? He had been staring at her most of the night, but he hadn't noticed anything amiss while they'd been together. He knew humans injured more easily than gargoyles did, but surely he hadn't done so much damage with his light reprimands?

Or maybe he had. The bruising on her face was taking practically forever to go away, and he had been very satisfied to see she had covered it prior to his arrival tonight. He would have to take better care not to do any permanent damage in the future. Small things were easily remedied with a little time and patience, but all the same, he felt better after making a quick telephone call, and gaining her an "appointment".

Once that bit of business was concluded, Thailog resumed his surveillance, watching as the detective proceeded to give the hatchling, whom she addressed as "Baby", her full attention. She talked to it, as though she expected it to answer, and then carried on bits of conversation as though it **had** answered. The gargoyle had wondered briefly if she were half mad, when suddenly, the child responded; much to the apparent delight of her new mother. It was only a nonsensical noise of course, but it was gleeful, and it was obvious how pleased the infant was to have Elisa's attention.

It occurred to him that the Maza woman was doing something he had never seen her do in his presence. Smiling. Happily even. She laughed softly at the infant's antics, and looked upon the thing with such a look of tenderness-

Shock threatened to overtake his mind. This was the reaction he sought for himself! How had that barely conscious lump of life managed to win her over so effortlessly? What had it managed to do but exist? And only that by his own aid and design!

He continued to watch in absolute perplexity, accounts completely forgotten, as they interacted so seamlessly, so easily, it was as if they had always been together. He listened as the detective's voice became light and playful as she threatened "tickling", and then to the infant who laughed uncontrollably at whatever this actually entailed. Elisa laughed with it, and then they were laughing seemingly just to please each other.

The clock by the door chimed the hour, but Thailog barely heard. He was listening to what he was sure was his father's Elisa sing to his child, play with it in the floor, and murmur stories and poetry, all the while keeping almost constant physical contact. The infant clutched at her hair with tiny talons when she kissed its brow ridges, and curled its' tail around her wrist when she fingered its' little toes, basking in her affections.

The hatchling was nothing beyond what it appeared, yet Elisa was clearly captivated. All his wealth and power, all the protection and comfort he could offer were as naught compared to a creature that drooled on itself.

So it was that though he had never felt the sensation before, the gargoyle knew jealousy when it came upon him, and was for once grateful for an interruption.

xxxxxxxxx

"Relief" did not begin to describe the detectives' feelings on being alone with her hatchling. The discomfort of her midsection did wear on her, especially after holding the baby for a few minutes, but it had been totally worth it to see her smile and laugh. She talked to Baby in a gentle tone while she wiped her plum skin clean, and offered her the gruel Thailog seemed to think was food, but she didn't get much of a response until she began tending to the bite on her own shoulder.

Little nostrils flared as Elisa applied the stinging antiseptic. As those curious little eyes followed her dabbing movements, her caretaker reflected that gargoyle senses were sharper than human ones. She wondered if her baby could smell her blood, and whether or not she could yet put it together that Thailog was the cause. Elisa thought sadly that if she hadn't, she would soon. Her baby's father was a monster, and the knowledge made her feel inexplicably guilty.

She had fallen silent without realizing it, and had broken eye contact so she could examine her bite wound. The hatchling's attention did not wander however, as the detective proceeded to tape a gauze pad over the minor seepage of blood.

When the detective turned her attention back to her charge, she was greeted by an exultant squeal that made her melancholy evaporate away. Suddenly it was a conversation, and the child made some gurgling response to everything Elisa said.

Spreading some of the labs' spare linens over the floor to make a play area seemed like a natural thing to Elisa. It was something she would have done at home in her real life without any thought as to why. The tactic made even more sense now, since she had her own weaknesses to consider. .

The punch she'd taken from Thailog in this very room still ached with almost every move she made, however, her other trials were more important. Things like food, escape, and being kept constantly under lock and key, had put little things like physical pain on a back burner. Healing wounds were easy to ignore once you got used to them. Add to that her almost constant hunger, and stomach pain became a given, something she could overlook if she focused on something else. She was a little disappointed in herself for acknowledging her injuries to Thailog; striking her where he knew she was hurt was cruel, but she should have expected that from him.

_But it made him stop,_ her mind observed. The minute she made her hurt known, he'd backed off. And released her. That wasn't cruelty, that was…mercy? But why? Elisa knew Thailog didn't want her to be seriously injured, that was why he had pulled his punch in the first place. Did he,- was he trying to be kind? No, that didn't fit; he was more likely trying to **exhibit** kindness, rather than having any change of heart or character. He wanted sex, and whether or not that was his only motive it was too soon to tell.

For now though, it was just her and the baby. Being able to lie on her stomach across the cold tile floor helped to numb the pain, and meant that she didn't have to hold the weight of a child against her bruises. It also had the added benefit of putting her and Baby on the same level.

Elisa had never considered herself an entertainer, but she did have a terrific memory. "The Owl and the Pussycat" had been one of her favorite poems as a child. She hadn't thought about it in years, but every word was etched in her memory, waiting for the right audience she supposed. Iambic pentameter flowed easily in her voice, putting Baby entirely in thrall.

"…You elegant fowl! How charmingly sweet you sing!

O let us be married, too long we have tarried,

But what shall we do for a ring?..."

Little lips moved as bright eyes followed every move of the detective's mouth. _She's quite the little sponge,_ Elisa thought as she came to the line about the land of the "Bong Tree". She loved those eyes, especially the smoky blue color so close in shade to Goliath's grays.

The memory made her stumble over the last line of the poem, making Baby blink and stare questioningly. "Don't worry Baby," the detective soothed, "it's just that you remind me of someone." She paused before quietly confessing, "I miss him."

But she didn't want to get into that now. It didn't matter that Baby couldn't comprehend her words, it was that saying them meant thinking them, and that would hurt more than anything else had. It was better to stay in the land of make believe, than to teach her baby about tears.

So then perhaps she ought to practice her storytelling now, when it didn't matter what she said so long as she said it? The detective cleared her throat. "Once upon a time, there lived a gargoyle prince, who ruled an island city from the top of a shining tower…"

Xxxxxxxxx

The hatchling had begun to nod off when he returned, his presence bringing the detective disappointment if not surprise. But Baby was surprised, and perhaps a little frightened. She had scented him before she saw him, Elisa noted, having watched the minute twitch of her little nose before her eyes had snapped open.

Elisa sat up, making an effort to hide any discomfort she felt, and cradled the infant gargoyle in her arms as she rose to her feet.

She might have said something about putting Baby back in the maturation chamber, or maybe made a snarky comment about her captor being late, but her only motive for speaking to him was to ward him off, and tonight she didn't get the chance. As soon as the doors to the lab had opened, he was striding toward her. Toward them; an idea which had Elisa practically dashing to the cold cylindrical machine that would protect her baby.

Shoved hurriedly inside the tight space that sealed her away from her only friendly contact, Baby kicked and rolled, managing to right herself only as her playmate sealed her within transparent walls. Bracing her little talons on the offending barrier, the hatchling rose up on her knees, attempting without hope to get back to her protector's warm embrace. Through the glass she saw the face of the great menace, rising up from behind the woman who watched her with sadness. He frightened her, and made the woman sad. He pulled the hatchling's companion away, beyond the door from whence they came, and the light followed them out. When they had gone, and the big room outside her cage was dark, the hatchling began to cry. She would have to be lonely and hungry again before anyone would return.

xxxxxxxxx

Instead of going back to her room, as Elisa had expected, after ascending the steel stairway, Thailog lead her through a new door off the main hall. He used the key card here too, and ushered her into a sparsely furnished office done in varying shades of green. Once inside, he allowed his grip on her arm to slacken, and Elisa took the opportunity to put a few steps of space between them. The place seemed harmless enough until the high backed leather desk chair spun to face them seemingly of its own accord.

The sudden appearance of a familiar face made the detective freeze. Anton Sevarius smirked at her over steepled fingers, marking this meeting for what it was: an ambush.

"What are you doing here?" She asked icily.

"The good doctor is in my employ," Thailog supplied from her left while Sevarius smiled and calmly opened a desk drawer. "And I took the liberty of making an appointment for you."

"Why?" She asked, slowly sidestepping away from them both. She wanted to put up any fight she could against the man who had mutilated her brother, and she would need room to do it.

"I would have come in a few more days anyway," Sevarius answered, having the gall to smile at her. "But your, ah, new beau, was concerned for your health, and gave me a ring." He'd taken a loaded syringe from the desk, and started to come around the desk.

"He has a funny way of showing concern," she glared at the doctor hard enough that his smarmy smirk faltered for a moment, "And I don't need any medical attention for you."

"Nevertheless," He said, maintaining the façade of politeness, "I think we should start with a general exam."

He had been approaching with a calm caution, but eventually, he came within striking distance. When he did, Elisa didn't hesitate to strike, kicking the syringe out of his hand and across the room before he could react. His head turned to watch it twirling through the air, which meant that he missed any warning of another attack. Actually, it was the second half of the same attack. The detective kept moving after kicking the needle away, charging through the doctor's personal space to throw a right cross at his temple. He went down, as she'd known he would. She was poised to hit him again when Thailog intervened, as she'd also expected.

Thailog caught her left arm by the elbow, hauling her away from Sevarius. She struggled even as he pulled her into a tight hug. She expected pain beyond the tenderness of her bruises, the new pain of new punishment. However, she had also expected the gargoyle to be angry, and instead found him to be very amused.

"That was very nicely done, my dear," he said in an almost reverent tone while stroking the side of her face with his thumb. Elisa found herself stunned to speechlessness by the Goliath-like look of tenderness he bestowed on her. Goose bumps rose up on her arms; this was a 10 on her creep-o-meter.

"Collect yourself Sevarius," he commanded the recovering scientist, "She couldn't have hit you that hard." The doctor cast him an annoyed look, but Thailog's countenance remained pleasant as he rubbed his face, and began searing for the needle.

Restrained into facing only her captor, Elisa was still aware of his search, and of the impending injection. Now that the option of fighting had been denied her, she was left to face the unknown. She looked up at Thailog, but not at his eyes. "What are you going to do?" She asked, unable to keep her voice entirely steady.

"We're going to build a life together," he assured her with a note of pride. "For now he will treat you, and run some tests to be certain you're healthy. You've nothing to fear."

But she did fear, and his somewhat cryptic response did nothing to alleviate it. But she found nothing to say before hearing Sevarius's footsteps come up behind her.

Elisa gasped at the sting between her shoulder blades. The effect of the injection was almost immediate; her limbs were already feeling heavy. "This isn't going to work," she said, fighting for balance.

"What isn't?"

She was falling victim to dizziness, her knees refusing to support her. She would lose consciousness soon, and there was almost nothing she feared more than being helpless to the machinations of these two men.

"I know how you think this is gonna go, but you won't feel any differently about me. What you're chasing, that connection, you won't get it from me either."

The detective slowly lost control of her body. Thailog held her steadily upright, though she would have preferred to have fallen, and as her eyelids closed against her will, she heard him answer.

"I don't have to chase anything, I already have you."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That morning, a mere half hour before sunrise, Thailog stood staring down at the prone detective lying on the doctor's exam table. The last time he'd seen her naked, he'd been staring at the TV screen set in the wall of his private rooms. Linked to the motion sensitive security system, it showed him every moment of every day that passed in his home. Since Elisa's arrival, he had spent most of his viewing time watching the shapely detective in her room. Though his body had never failed to react at the sight of her more private moments, this morning was different.

Today, in the act of removing her clothes, his mind had been arrested by the sight of discolored skin. The unhealthy greens and mild yellows he could overlook, since most of that was masked by her golden skin tone, but the blackish blotches she currently sported could not be called enticing. It would never have bothered him so much if he could be sure it was only superficial. He could not however, and far from being able to imagine her screams of ecstasy, he could only recount the sound of pain she had made this evening outside the laboratory.

His staring at her made Sevarius uneasy; that much was obvious from the extreme involvement the man took in arranging his instruments and tuning his small humming machines. Perhaps if Thailog had used the sheet the sniveling pipsqueak had given him to cover her, the man would be more at ease. After all, no one could be more detached from his patients than Anton Sevarius. He much preferred to see people as specimens and samples, and it was things like well-placed sheets that ensured that point of view. Thailog gave very little thought to the doctor's opinion as a rule though, and that was not about to change. He was here for no other reason than his own piece of mind. At last irritated by a third clearing of the throat, the gargoyle fixed his accomplice with a stern red stare.

At some point, Sevarius had run out of things to fidget with while waiting for Thailog to have done with the detective and leave. He no longer had anything to do but stand still, periodically making some casual noise, and wondering what he could be doing while anticipating his employer's exit. He had failed to realize Thailog was expecting the same of him.

"Isn't there something else you need, Doctor?"

"Uh, no," he turned to inspect his instruments once more, glancing at the calibration display on the portable ultrasound. Everything seemed to be in perfect order. "No, I'm ready when you are." He smiled back.

"Well, I'm not." Thailog said curtly. "Why don't you go and find yourself some coffee or something?" Sevarius could hear the gargoyle's patience wearing thin in that pointed suggestion. After a stuttered apology, and assurances that he would return to work promptly at sunset, he backed his way out the door that connected to the green study.

"Alone at last," Thailog murmured to the insensate detective. She didn't react of course, and with her silent stillness as a constant, the violet of fresh blood beneath her skin looked all the more vibrant. He reached to touch her with light talons, smoothing large hands over warm skin as though he could brush the discoloration away. He closed his eyes, marveling at the softness of tender flesh over firm feminine musculature. As his touch slid easily up the line of her ribcage, a second hand joined the first in its journey.

He paused at the weight of her breasts, opening his eyes to her face. Though she was peaceful in repose, he knew she would probably not appreciate his inspection. She would not be happy that he had taken her clothes either, but Thailog had felt that that was definitely not a job for Anton!

His eyes and talons retreated reluctantly down her body once more, following the flare of her hips and stilling upon her thighs as he was struck by another unwelcome thought.

_Would she be angry if it were my father who touched her? _

She claimed there were no romantic feelings between them, but he knew she was probably lying. He'd seen the way his father looked at her in Paris, and he'd watched the emotions in his face at the first sight of Delilah. There were certainly intentions from his side if not hers.

How Goliath must be squirming to know Elisa was here with him, and under his thumb. Did she make his father feel strong with her comparative weakness, virile by her womanly shape? Did he pant for her like a dog? Thailog smiled at the very thought. Perhaps, when they had traveled together, he had watched her sleep. Maybe he had even been desperate enough to touch her through her clothes! He chuckled to think of the proud clan leader driven to madness over his attraction.

But that was not likely, Goliath would not have had the courage to attempt such a thing. And there was no sign on her body that he'd ever touched her that way. There were no light bruises that he had not given her himself, no sign of any love biting save his own, no indication of a gargoyle's affections at all. Goliath might have been too cowardly to show her his love, but his son would not be! She was his now, she would bear the marks of his loving!

Having laid claim to the detective in his own mind, Thailog's touch became a possessive grip above one of her knees. The rough hold of his talons sank into the skin on the inside of her thigh as he pushed her leg out. He leaned over her body, tucking his nose into her neck, taking in the scent of her hair. As he used his left hand to pull through her black tresses, his right remained lower. Insensitive to the punctures he'd made in her skin, he continued his caress of that inner thigh, anticipating the night he would finally part her legs in love, smearing her blood as he did so.

His time tonight grew short. The sun would rise soon and he could sense how little time he would have to lock himself away from the doctors reach. It was time to say goodbye to her. Feeling the necessity of a goodbye kiss, Thailog indulged himself in the luxury of the detective's throat. Kissing and suckling the spot under her ear that smelled the most heavenly, he was hardly aware of when he began to scrape the skin with his sharp incisors. When he managed to pull himself away, Thailog was very gratified to see the flushed red mark he'd left on her neck. When she saw it, she'd know he'd been there with her, by this little bit of proof. Feeling pleased with himself and his gentle manners, Thailog took himself off to sleep, entirely forgetting about covering any part of Elisa with a sheet.

xxxxxxxx

Detective Bluestone nervously chewed his lip as he listened to the phone ring on the other end. He was hungry, and finally home, but it had been a long, grueling day.

This was the end of the fifth day of Elisa's absence. In a few more hours, a sixth would begin. Day six of pretending to go on as normal while everyone in the squad room stared sympathy at him, saying things that were meant to be encouraging about how they'd find out what happened to her. But they didn't have a clue. Matt already knew what happened, and acting ignorant was wearing on him.

So today he was asking for help. Dialing the numbers he was now wasn't something he'd ever wanted to do, but with his partner's life in real jeopardy, his own sense of pride didn't bear consideration.

All told, there were very few things about the FBI he really missed. The pay had been better, but money wasn't everything. In fact from his first week as a New York Detective, he'd felt more welcome and at home at the 23rd precinct, than he ever had in his old office. Even when Elisa wasn't very welcoming, she had been a good partner who respected his abilities and hadn't judged him by his unusual interest in secret societies.

Back at the Federal Bureau, he had been an outsider. His acquaintances were not so much friends as tolerant colleagues. Even his own partner Martin Hacker, the one person he thought had understood him, had turned out to be less than genuine. The only thing Matt really missed about the Bureau was having the superior connections and legal clout that made his job easier.

That and Charlie, who had always been a sympathetic ear over the occasional coffee break.

CLICK

"Agent Esquival here," the sultry tones of the woman he'd called sounded low in his ear. The sensuous voice of Agent Charlize Esquival was a good as siren song to a detective who had something to get off his chest.

"Hi Charlie. This is Matt Bluestone. I need your help."


End file.
